S-3852               _______________________________________________

                                                   SENATE BILL NO. 6483

                        _______________________________________________

State of Washington                               51st Legislature                              1990 Regular Session

By Senators Rinehart, Bailey, Williams, Bender, Murray, Talmadge, Moore, Rasmussen, Niemi and Warnke

Read first time 1/15/90 and referred to Committee on Education.

AN ACT Relating to the transitional bilingual education program; and amending RCW 28A.58.810.

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

        Sec. 1.  Section 6, chapter 95, Laws of 1979 and RCW 28A.58.810 are each amended to read as follows:

          The superintendent of public instruction shall prepare and submit biennially to the governor and the legislature a budget request for bilingual instruction programs.  In making the budget request, the superintendent of public instruction shall specifically request enhanced funding for school districts in which the twenty or more different languages or dialects other than English are spoken by students as native languages.  Moneys appropriated by the legislature for the purposes of RCW 28A.58.800 through 28A.58.810 shall be allocated by the superintendent of public instruction to school districts for the sole purpose of operating an approved bilingual instruction program; priorities for funding shall exist for the early elementary grades.  As funds are available, enhanced funding shall be provided to school districts in which twenty or more different languages or dialects other than English are spoken by students as native languages.  No moneys shall be allocated pursuant to this section to fund more than three school years of bilingual instruction for each eligible pupil within a district:  PROVIDED, That such moneys may be allocated to fund more than three school years of bilingual instruction for any pupil who fails to demonstrate improvement in English language skills adequate to remove impairment of learning when taught only in English.  The superintendent of public instruction shall set standards and approve a test for the measurement of such English language skills.  School districts are hereby empowered to accept grants, gifts, donations, devices and other gratuities from private and public sources to aid in accomplishing the purposes of RCW 28A.58.800 through 28A.58.810.