S-3880.1 _______________________________________________
SUBSTITUTE SENATE BILL 6366
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State of Washington 52nd Legislature 1992 Regular Session
By Senate Committee on Education (originally sponsored by Senators Pelz, Bailey, Erwin, Craswell, Rinehart, Murray and A. Smith)
Read first time 02/06/92.
AN ACT Relating to school-age children at risk due to prenatal drug or alcohol exposure; creating new sections; and making an appropriation.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. The legislature finds that an alarmingly increasing number of children are exposed to drugs including crack cocaine and to alcohol before they are born. These children are biologically at risk due to the prenatal drug or alcohol exposure. The legislature finds that the state of Washington cannot afford to condemn these children to becoming a lost generation. The legislature further finds that by beginning the planning process to design effective programs once the children enter the school system, our school system can become better equipped to successfully educate all of our children to become productive and educated citizens.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. (1) The planning for learning project is created. The purpose of the project is to begin to develop and distribute information about effective teaching methods for elementary age school children who are at risk due to prenatal drug or alcohol exposure. The project shall be developed in conjunction with the superintendent of public instruction and school districts. One of the goals of the project is to create a report that can be used by educators, school districts, and legislators on what is known about effective teaching practices for such children. The project shall be conducted to do the following:
(a) Compile and analyze existing research on effective teaching and learning strategies for children who are biologically at risk due to prenatal drug or alcohol exposure;
(b) Develop recommendations for further research if necessary and program implementation; and
(c) Develop policy recommendations, in conjunction with the superintendent of public instruction and school districts, for school districts, the superintendent of public instruction, and the legislature.
(2) The report shall be completed by December 15, 1992, and submitted to the appropriate standing committees of the legislature and the superintendent of public instruction.
(3) This section shall expire January 1, 1993.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 3. The sum of forty-five 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 University of Washington for the fetal alcohol and drug unit of the department of psychiatry and behavioral science in the University of Washington school of medicine to conduct the study. The University of Washington shall not charge or deduct indirect costs of any kind from this sum. The fetal alcohol and drug unit shall work with school districts and the superintendent of public instruction in developing the recommendations.