FINAL BILL REPORT

2SSB 5258

C 180 L 17

Synopsis as Enacted

Brief Description: Creating the Washington academic, innovation, and mentoring (AIM) program.

Sponsors: Senate Committee on Ways & Means (originally sponsored by Senators Zeiger, Fain, Mullet, Rolfes, Chase, Kuderer and Hunt).

Senate Committee on Early Learning & K-12 Education

Senate Committee on Ways & Means

House Committee on Education

House Committee on Appropriations

Background: The 2015–17 State Operating Budget appropriated $250,000 to fund the Academic, Innovation, and Mentoring (AIM) grant program over two years. The proviso required that to receive a grant an entity must be a nonprofit corporation that has federal tax exempt status, is affiliated with a congressionally chartered organization, and meets other specified criteria, which includes providing after-school and summer programs in a minimum of 50 communities statewide. The grant must be used to pilot out-of-school time programs that include educational services, mentoring, and linkages to prosocial leisure and recreational activities for youth who are six to eighteen years of age. Additionally, programs must provide at least two of three activity areas:

• Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM);

• homework support and high-yield learning opportunities; and

• career exploration.

The Washington State Boys & Girls Clubs Association received the AIM grant and piloted programming in five communities: Bellevue, Mt. Vernon, Spokane, Tacoma, and Vancouver. The full project period extends from July 1, 2015, through June 30, 2017. The Superintendent of Public Instruction submitted a report on the AIM program in January 2017.

The United States Internal Revenue Code exempts nonprofit organizations from some federal income taxes when the organization's purpose is charitable, religious, educational, scientific, literary, testing for public safety, fostering amateur sports competition, or preventing cruelty to children or animals.

Summary: The Washington AIM program is created in statute to provide after-school and during the summer programs that include educational services, social-emotional learning, mentoring, and recreational activities for youth who are six to eighteen years of age. Eligible entities must meet specified requirements, including the following:

• ensure that 60 percent or more of the program participants qualify for free or reduced-price lunch;

• have an existing partnership with the local school district and commitment to develop a formalized data-sharing agreement;

• combine or have a plan to combine academics and social-emotional learning;

• engage in a continuous program quality improvement process;

• conduct national criminal background checks for all employees and volunteers who work with children; and

• be faculty-based and have adopted standards for care including staff training, health and safety standards, and mechanisms for assessing and enforcing the program's compliance with the standards.

Nonprofit entities applying for funding as a statewide network must:

• have an existing infrastructure or network of grant-eligible entities;

• provide after-school and summer programs with youth development services; and

• be facility-based and provide proven and tested recreational, educational, and character-building programs for youth who are six to eighteen years of age.

By December 31, 2018, and annually thereafter, OSPI must report to the Legislature on the programs established, target populations, and pre- and post-test results.

A null and void clause is included.

Votes on Final Passage: