Z-737                 _______________________________________________

                                                   SENATE BILL NO. 3517

                        _______________________________________________

State of Washington                              49th Legislature                              1985 Regular Session

By Senators Bauer, Gaspard, Benitz, Moore, Bender, Rinehart and Johnson; by Temporary Committee on Educational Policies request

Read first time 2/1/85 and referred to Committee on Education.

AN ACT Relating to adult educational skills; adding new sections to chapter 28A.03 RCW; and making an appropriation.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1.  A new section is added to chapter 28A.03 RCW to read as follows:

          (1) The superintendent of public instruction in cooperation with the director of the state board for community college education shall establish a state-wide literacy program to provide free educational opportunities for all residents in the state eighteen years of age or older to acquire basic educational skills.  The superintendent of public instruction shall coordinate the state literacy program with programs authorized under RCW 28B.50.250 and 28A.58.246 through 28A.58.248 providing similar services to avoid duplication of services, but this program shall be in addition to those programs.  The program shall be designed to provide opportunities to eligible persons who are unable to fully participate in society because of an inability to read and write in the English language.  Persons with reading and writing abilities below an eighth grade level are eligible but persons with reading and writing abilities at or below the fourth grade level and who are capable of receiving the maximum benefit from the program shall be given first preference in receiving services.

          (2) The superintendent of public instruction shall recruit local organizations, volunteers, and community agencies to provide the testing and teaching services under the adult literacy program.

          (3) The superintendent of public instruction shall establish standards to measure the performance of participants during and after completion of the program.  Progress requirements for each participant shall be developed.

          (4) The superintendent of public instruction shall establish the goal of enrolling ten percent of the eligible individuals by September 1, 1986, and increasing enrollment by a minimum of two percent each year with the goal of achieving enrollment of thirty percent of the eligible population by 1995.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2.  A new section is added to chapter 28A.03 RCW to read as follows:

          (1) A state advisory literacy coalition is established to facilitate implementation and development of the state literacy program under section 1 of this act.  The coalition shall serve as a formal connection among the programs serving adults needing to develop reading and writing skills and among other duties shall:

          (a) Publicize and promote adult literacy programs throughout the state to encourage participation by students and volunteers;

          (b) Conduct research to identify the persons needing services;

          (c) Obtain reliable estimates of the extent of the problem throughout the state;

          (d) Promote communication and the exchange of ideas among service providers throughout the state; and

          (e) Promote and facilitate contributions of time, space, funds, and other support by business and industry for employees lacking the necessary reading and writing skills and for employees to become volunteers in the literacy program.

          (2) The coalition shall be composed of twenty members representing business, labor, the legislature, the department of corrections, the department of social and health services, the state board for community college education, the office of the superintendent of public instruction, the state library, public libraries, persons eligible to or participating in the program, volunteer organizations, and other community organizations professionally involved in promoting literacy in the state.  The representatives of the state agencies shall be chosen by the heads of their respective agencies.  The other members of the coalition shall be selected by the governor.  The members shall serve for two-year terms.  The terms of the initial appointments shall be staggered.  Vacancies shall be filled in the same manner as the original appointments were made.  The members of the coalition shall select their own chairperson and meet at the call of the chairperson.  The members of the coalition shall be reimbursed for travel expenses as provided in RCW 43.03.050 and 43.03.060.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 3.     The sum of two million five hundred thousand dollars, or as much thereof as may be necessary, is appropriated for the biennium ending June 30, 1987, from the general fund to the superintendent of public instruction for the purposes of this act:  PROVIDED, That ten percent of this sum or so much thereof as may be necessary shall be allocated to the coalition under section 2 of this act to carry out its duties.