H-1394.2 _______________________________________________
HOUSE BILL 1814
_______________________________________________
State of Washington 52nd Legislature 1991 Regular Session
By Representatives Edmondson, Horn, Wilson, Franklin, Morton, Prentice, Winsley, Wood, D. Sommers, Bowman, Miller, Brough, Silver, Forner, Wynne, Wineberry, Tate, Mitchell, Chandler, P. Johnson, Casada and Moyer.
Read first time February 11, 1991. Referred to Committee on Higher Education\Appropriations.
AN ACT Relating to scholarships for child care workers; adding a new chapter to Title 28B 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 notes that a change in the societal norms for raising children has resulted in an increasing use of day care services. Consequently, day care is steadily becoming more complicated as providers must be expert in a number of areas such as child development, education readiness, emotional problem solving, exercise and athletic readiness, and leisure time activities. The legislature finds that encouraging day care providers to seek training and education to function in this demanding job is of paramount interest to the state of Washington. By creating the child care providers conditional scholarship program, the legislature intends to assist in the development of child care specialists who will contribute significantly to the emotional and physical development, and well-being of children. The legislature encourages business, industry, and philanthropic community organizations to join with state government in making this program successful.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. Unless the context clearly requires otherwise, the definitions in this section apply throughout this chapter.
(1) "Child care worker or provider" or "day care worker or provider" means a person who is employed for twenty or more hours a week in a state-licensed day care facility, private school, or kindergarten to supervise the growth and development of children in his or her care.
(2) "Conditional scholarship" means a loan that is forgiven in whole or in part if the recipient renders service as a child care provider in a state-licensed day care center or public education system day care facility of the state.
(3) "Eligible student" means a student who is registered for at least ten credit hours or the equivalent, maintains a grade point average of 2.5 or the equivalent for each academic year while in the program, is a resident as defined in RCW 28B.15.012 through 28B.15.015, and has declared an intention to complete an approved preparation program leading to an associate of arts degree in child care or a bachelor of arts degree in child development or early childhood education.
(4) "Forgiven," "to forgive," or "forgiveness" means to render service as a child care provider in the state of Washington in lieu of monetary repayment.
(5) "Institution of higher education" or "institution" means a college or university in the state of Washington that is accredited by an accrediting association recognized as such by rule of the higher education coordinating board, or a community college established under chapter 28B.50 RCW.
(6) "Participant" means an eligible student who has received a conditional scholarship under this chapter.
(7) "Satisfied" means paid in full.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 3. The child care providers conditional scholarship program is established. The program is administered by the higher education coordinating board. The child care coordinating committee of the department of social and health services is an advisor to the higher education coordinating board. In administering the program, the board has the following powers and duties:
(1) Select students to receive conditional scholarships, with the assistance of a screening committee composed of child care providers and members of the child care coordinating committee of the department of social and health services;
(2) Adopt necessary rules and guidelines;
(3) Publicize the program;
(4) Collect and manage repayments from students who do not meet their child care service obligations under this chapter; and
(5) Solicit and accept grants and donations from public and private sources for the program.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 4. The higher education coordinating board shall establish a planning committee to develop criteria for the screening and selection of recipients of the conditional scholarships. These criteria shall emphasize factors demonstrating excellence including but not limited to the ability to contribute significantly to the emotional and physical development, and well-being of children, scholastic achievement, community contributions, and an ability to act as a role model for children. These criteria also may include, for approximately half of the recipients, requirements that those recipients meet the definition of "needy student" under RCW 28B.10.802.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 5. The board may waive grade point requirements for an otherwise eligible individual student under special circumstances.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 6. The board may award conditional scholarships to eligible students from the funds appropriated to the board for this purpose, or from private donations, or other funds given to the board for this program. The amount of the conditional scholarship awarded an individual shall not exceed three thousand dollars per academic year. Students are eligible to receive conditional scholarships for a maximum of five years.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 7. (1) Participants in the conditional scholarship program incur an obligation to repay the conditional scholarship, with interest, unless they render child care service two years for every one year of scholarship received, in a state-licensed day care facility, private school, or kindergarten in the state of Washington, under rules adopted by the board.
(2) The terms of the repayment, including deferral of the interest, are consistent with the terms of the federal guaranteed loan program.
(3) The period for repayment is ten years, with payments accruing quarterly commencing nine months from the date the participant completes or discontinues the course of study.
(4) The entire principal and interest of each payment is forgiven for each payment period in which the participant renders child care service in a state-licensed day care facility, private school, or kindergarten in the state of Washington until the entire repayment obligation is satisfied or the borrower ceases to render child care service in this state. Should the participant cease to render child care service in this state before the participant's repayment obligation is completed, payments on the unsatisfied portion of the principal and interest shall begin the next payment period and continue until the remainder of the participant's repayment obligation is satisfied.
(5) The board is responsible for collection of repayments made under this section and shall exercise due diligence in the collection, maintaining all necessary records to ensure that maximum repayments are made. Collection and servicing of repayments under this section are pursued using the full extent of the law, including wage garnishment if necessary, and are performed by entities approved for servicing by the Washington student loan guaranty association or its successor agency. The board is responsible for forgiving all or part of repayments under the criteria established in this section and shall maintain all necessary records of forgiven payments.
(6) Receipts from the payment of principal or interest or other subsidies that the board as administrator is entitled, that are paid by or on behalf of participants under this section, are deposited with the higher education coordinating board and are used to cover the costs of granting the conditional scholarships, maintaining necessary records, and making collections under subsection (5) of this section. The board shall maintain accurate records of these costs, and all receipts beyond those necessary to pay costs are used to grant conditional scholarships to eligible students.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 8. After consulting with the higher education coordinating board, the governor may transfer the administration of this program to another agency with an appropriate educational mission.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 9. The higher education coordinating board shall grant conditional scholarships from the 1992-93 school year to the completion of the 1997-98 school year. No conditional scholarships shall be granted after June 30, 1998, until the program is reviewed by the legislative budget committee and is reenacted by the legislature.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 10. The sum of one 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 higher education coordinating board for the purposes of the child care providers conditional scholarship program.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 11. If federal matching funds for the purposes of sections 2 through 10 of this act are not provided by September 30, 1991, the appropriation in section 10 of this act shall lapse.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 12. Sections 2 through 9 of this act shall constitute a new chapter in Title 28B RCW.