BILL REQ. #:  S-3866.3 

Read first time 01/15/08.   Referred to Committee on Early Learning & K-12 Education.

     AN ACT Relating to providing funds to establish and sustain public school arts programs; amending RCW 67.70.240; adding a new section to chapter 43.46 RCW; adding a new section to chapter 43.79 RCW; and creating a new section.

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

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1   The legislature finds that the arts can teach much about every culture through its literature, visual arts, music, dance, and drama. Throughout history people have recorded their struggles, their dreams, and their lives in works of art. Many people recognize that to be truly well-educated, one must not only learn to appreciate the arts but must have rich opportunities to actively participate in creative work.
     The legislature further finds that the arts can bring every academic subject to life and that the integration of the arts with the fuller academic curriculum, including reading, mathematics, science, and social studies, can enrich student experiences, enhance student engagement, extend student learning, and deepen student understanding of all the academic content areas. The legislature intends to provide resources to help improve arts-infused curriculum and integration into our schools and transform the teaching, learning, and school environments in Washington through the use of the arts.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 2   A new section is added to chapter 43.46 RCW to read as follows:
     (1) Beginning with the 2012-13 school year, the school arts programs account committee shall establish an annual grant process to institute and sustain arts-infused curriculum, programs, and projects in public schools, which could include professional development for classroom teachers, specialist teachers, and principals in order to continue the curriculum, programs, and projects in the future. Curriculum, programs, and projects funded through the school arts programs account committee shall assist students to make connections within and across the arts to other disciplines, to learn about other cultures, and to strengthen communities through the use of the arts.
     (2) Only cities, counties, nonprofit arts agencies and organizations, artists, public schools, school districts, and educational service districts in Washington may apply for school arts programs account funds. Each application must involve at least one arts agency, arts organization, or artist and at least one public school.
     (3) To the maximum extent possible, the school arts programs account committee shall distribute grants based upon full-time equivalent student populations in each of the nine educational service districts and shall reserve no less than ten percent and no more than twenty-five percent of total annual funds for proposals with a statewide focus delivered regionally.
     (4) The executive director of the Washington state arts commission shall designate a school arts programs account committee. The superintendent of public instruction shall appoint two members and the executive director of the Washington state arts commission shall appoint two members. A fifth at-large member shall be selected by the four appointed members. Term lengths for school arts programs account committee members shall be determined jointly by the superintendent of public instruction and the executive director of the Washington state arts commission.
     (5) The Washington state arts commission shall spend no more than three and one-half percent of annual state arts programs account funds for administrative staffing and other expenses related to managing the program. Members of the state arts programs account committee shall serve without compensation but shall be reimbursed for travel expenses as provided in RCW 43.03.050 and 43.03.060.
     (6)(a) The executive director of the Washington state arts commission, in conjunction with the state arts programs account committee, shall acknowledge the Washington state lottery as the source of state arts programs account funds for all grant programs and projects in all state arts programs account committee and Washington state arts commission publications including, but not limited to, grant solicitations and brochures, advertising, and press releases.
     (b) For each completed program and project funded by the state arts programs account, the Washington state arts commission executive director and the state arts programs account committee shall acknowledge the Washington state lottery as the funding source through enduring signage, including by film or written credit, or acknowledgment approved by the Washington state lottery.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 3   A new section is added to chapter 43.79 RCW to read as follows:
     The school arts programs account is created in the custody of the state treasurer. Receipts from the state lottery, as provided in RCW 67.70.240(6) must be deposited in the account. Expenditures from the account may be used only to establish and sustain arts programs in public schools in accordance with section 2 of this act. Only one of the members of the school arts programs account committee created in section 2 of this act appointed by the superintendent of public instruction and one of the members appointed by the Washington state arts commission may authorize expenditures from the account. The account is subject to allotment procedures under chapter 43.88 RCW, but an appropriation is not required for expenditures.

Sec. 4   RCW 67.70.240 and 2001 c 3 s 4 are each amended to read as follows:
     The moneys in the state lottery account shall be used only:
     (1) For the payment of prizes to the holders of winning lottery tickets or shares;
     (2) For purposes of making deposits into the reserve account created by RCW 67.70.250 and into the lottery administrative account created by RCW 67.70.260;
     (3) For purposes of making deposits into the education construction fund and student achievement fund created in RCW 43.135.045. For the transition period from July 1, 2001, until and including June 30, 2002, fifty percent of the moneys not otherwise obligated under this section shall be placed in the student achievement fund and fifty percent of these moneys shall be placed in the education construction fund. On and after July 1, 2002, until June 30, 2004, seventy-five percent of these moneys shall be placed in the student achievement fund and twenty-five percent shall be placed in the education construction fund. On and after July 1, 2004, all deposits not otherwise obligated under this section shall be placed in the education construction fund. Moneys in the state lottery account deposited in the education construction fund and the student achievement fund are included in "general state revenues" under RCW 39.42.070;
     (4) For distribution to a county for the purpose of paying the principal and interest payments on bonds issued by the county to construct a baseball stadium, as defined in RCW 82.14.0485, including reasonably necessary preconstruction costs. Three million dollars shall be distributed under this subsection during calendar year 1996. During subsequent years, such distributions shall equal the prior year's distributions increased by four percent. Distributions under this subsection shall cease when the bonds issued for the construction of the baseball stadium are retired, but not more than twenty years after the tax under RCW 82.14.0485 is first imposed;
     (5) For distribution to the stadium and exhibition center account, created in RCW 43.99N.060. Subject to the conditions of RCW 43.99N.070, six million dollars shall be distributed under this subsection during the calendar year 1998. During subsequent years, such distribution shall equal the prior year's distributions increased by four percent. No distribution may be made under this subsection after December 31, 1999, unless the conditions for issuance of the bonds under RCW 43.99N.020(2) are met. Distributions under this subsection shall cease when the bonds are retired, but not later than December 31, 2020;
     (6) For distribution to the school arts programs account as created in section 3 of this act. The distributions in subsection (4) of this section, upon the earlier of retirement of the baseball stadium bonds or twenty years after the tax under RCW 82.14.0485 is first imposed, shall be distributed for the purposes of and subject to the conditions of sections 2 and 3 of this act;
     (7) For the purchase and promotion of lottery games and game-related services; and
     (((7))) (8) For the payment of agent compensation.
     The office of financial management shall require the allotment of all expenses paid from the account and shall report to the ways and means committees of the senate and house of representatives any changes in the allotments.