H-0916.1 _______________________________________________
HOUSE BILL 1311
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State of Washington 52nd Legislature 1991 Regular Session
By Representatives Orr, Winsley, Dorn, Roland, Rasmussen, Dellwo, Jacobsen, Pruitt and Brekke.
Read first time January 25, 1991. Referred to Committee on Education\Appropriations.
AN ACT Relating to early intervention and prevention school programs; adding a new section to chapter 28A.300 RCW; creating a new section; and making an appropriation.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. The legislature finds that the increase in family and social problems in our state is having a serious impact on many of our children, and that many of these children will not be able to lead full and productive lives unless efforts are made to provide additional health care services, support, and counseling. The legislature further finds that assistance in a child's early years has the potential of making a significant difference in the student's future educational and social achievement, thereby making the provision of early intervention and prevention services an excellent investment for the child and the state.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. A new section is added to chapter 28A.300 RCW to read as follows:
(1) The fair start program is hereby established. The purpose of the fair start program is to provide financial resources to assist school districts in providing early intervention and prevention services for elementary school children.
(2) Funds from the fair start program shall be used by school districts and educational service districts to provide counseling, health care, and other types of social services. These services may be provided by private contractors, educational staff associates, licensed mental health care providers, child psychiatrists, health care providers, and social service caseworkers or social workers. Funds also may be used for the evaluation required in subsection (5) of this section, and for training related to the district's early intervention and prevention program.
(3) The superintendent of public instruction shall distribute funds for the fair start program equitably to all school districts based on the district's enrollment in kindergarten through sixth grade. However, the allocations for school districts enrolling fewer than one thousand full-time equivalent students shall be distributed to the educational service district in which the district is located. The educational service district shall use the allocation to provide early intervention and prevention services under a cooperative agreement between the district and the educational service district. To the maximum extent possible, educational service districts shall coordinate the use of staff and resources to serve these school districts with less than one thousand students.
(4) School districts shall establish formal arrangements for coordinated case management with lead mental health agencies and other public or private social service agencies.
(5) By June 30, 1993, and every three years thereafter, school districts and educational service districts that receive funds under the fair start program shall submit a report to the superintendent of public instruction that includes a description of the programs and services funded through the fair start program, and an evaluation of the effectiveness of these programs and services. The evaluation shall be conducted by an organization or individual not associated, directly or indirectly, with the school district or educational service district. The superintendent of public instruction shall prepare a synthesis of the reports and evaluations, and shall submit the synthesis by December 1, 1993, and every three years thereafter.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 3. The sum of nine million four hundred thousand dollars, or as much thereof as may be necessary, is appropriated for the biennium ending June 30, 1993, from the general fund to the superintendent of public instruction for the purposes of section 2 of this act.