FINAL BILL REPORT

                           ESSB 5844

                          C 365 L 93

                      SYNOPSIS AS ENACTED

Brief Description:  Allowing volunteers to assist agencies to serve at‑risk children's needs.

SPONSORS: Senate Committee on Government Operations (originally sponsored by Senators McAuliffe, Erwin, M. Rasmussen, Amondson, Drew, Prentice, Pelz, Niemi, Winsley, Sheldon, McDonald, Talmadge, Owen, Snyder, Haugen, Hargrove, Moyer, Quigley, Roach, Jesernig, Oke, Hochstatter and Spanel)

SENATE COMMITTEE ON GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON HUMAN SERVICES

BACKGROUND:

The Center for Volunteerism and Citizen Service supports and promotes public volunteer service throughout the state.  It is believed that volunteers should be encouraged to work with at-risk children.

SUMMARY:

A collaborative program permits a volunteer organization and individual volunteers to assist a public agency in working with at-risk children.  The Center for Volunteerism and Citizen Service develops guidelines defining at-risk children and establishing reasonable safety standards to protect program participants and volunteers.  Volunteers are not considered employees of any public agency they assist and the public agency shall have no liability for any acts of an individual volunteer or volunteer organization.  Volunteers shall not be liable for civil damages arising from volunteer activities which comply with safety standards except acts or omissions which constitute gross negligence or constitute willful or wanton misconduct.

VOTES ON FINAL PASSAGE:

Senate    49   0

House     93   0    (House amended)

Senate              (Senate refused to concur)

House              (House refused to recede)

Senate             (Senate refused to concur)

Conference Committee

House     98   0

Senate    47   0

EFFECTIVE:July 25, 1993