BP BHEAD INT S

AN ACT Relating to lifelong learning and community involvement in education; adding a new chapter to Title 28A RCW; and making an appropriation.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. The legislature finds that citizens in communities throughout Washington face many challenges that education can help them to meet and overcome. Transitions between home life and school, between school and work, between careers, and between phases of life demand that ongoing education and readiness for change be fostered throughout the lives of Washington citizens. The legislature finds that lifelong learning, and the community involvement it promotes, will help Washington meet the challenges of the next century and of our changing economy. The legislature further finds that, through effective and efficient pooling of educational resources, citizens' educational opportunities will be enhanced and tied in a relevant way to the community outside the school. The legislature finds that educational opportunities in a community might include early childhood education; parenting education and parent involvement; literacy training; job training and retraining; technical preparation programs; student career academies and career centers for all citizens; student apprenticeships, internships, and job mentor programs; tutoring; school staff sabbaticals; programs for business and labor participation in schools; release-time programs for community members to participate in schools; and other types of adult education, including programs for senior citizens. These services might be provided by state or community-based agencies including, but not limited to: Public schools, including skills centers; counties, cities, and towns, including parks departments, health departments, and libraries; community and technical colleges; business and labor organizations; service organizations; and private and nonprofit organizations.

The legislature finds that effective and efficient coordination of all community educational services can provide for the life-long learning and positive community involvement of Washington's citizens. To promote lifelong learning and community involvement in education, the legislature intends:

(1) That coordination of local services that promote lifelong learning and community involvement in education be improved by creating a council of state agencies that will encourage local flexibility, provide technical assistance, and provide grants to promote community-based collaboration;

(2) That lifelong learning and community involvement in education be fostered through creating opportunities for local citizens to be involved in coordinated planning of community efforts.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. Unless the context clearly requires otherwise, as used in this chapter, "lifelong learning and community involvement in education" means coordinated efforts in communities that provide education to citizens of all ages, in a variety of settings, and, to the extent possible, with shared funding, sites, and staffing.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 3. (1) The Washington state council for lifelong learning and community involvement in education is created. The council shall be composed of the following voting members, or their designees: The superintendent of public instruction, the chair of the state board of education, the chair of the state board for community and technical colleges, the chair of the higher education coordinating board, the chair of the work force training and education coordinating board, the chair of the family policy council, the director of the department of community development, the commissioner of the employment security department, the director of the department of labor and industries, the state librarian, and, appointed by the governor, representatives of both business and labor, and other groups providing lifelong learning and community involvement services.

(2) The council shall select its own chairperson and meet at the call of the chairperson.

(3) Staff support shall be provided to the extent necessary by the state agencies represented on the council. The council may contract for services as necessary.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 4. The duties of the council shall include, but not be limited to:

(1) Identifying programs offered by each state agency or board that promote lifelong learning and community involvement in education; identifying barriers to community level coordination of services; and requesting the affected agencies to provide waivers, as necessary, from state-level requirements if those requirements prevent or inhibit coordination of programs for lifelong learning and community involvement in education;

(2) Providing assistance to local communities to coordinate programs for lifelong learning and community involvement in education;

(3) Developing and administering grant programs to develop programs in local communities that promote lifelong learning and community involvement in education. Communities shall be encouraged to coordinate resources for programs and resources for facilities;

(4) Identifying statutory changes required to promote local collaboration for lifelong learning and community involvement in education;

(5) Coordinating, where possible, with collaborative efforts of the state family policy council and other state-level entities to link the provision of education-related and other human service-related programs in communities;

(6) Promoting different models of developing lifelong learning and community involvement in education programs throughout the state and helping the exchange of information among communities; and

(7) Reporting back to the legislature by December 1994, and every two years thereafter. The initial report shall contain recommendations for changes to statutes.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 5. (1) Each local community shall be encouraged to develop and submit a plan to the council for delivery of services that promote lifelong learning and community involvement in education, including a description of the geographical area included in the lifelong learning and community involvement in education plan. The plan shall identify all federal, state, and local resources available at the local level for lifelong learning and community involvement in education, assess the lifelong learning needs of persons in the community, and assign a lead agency to coordinate collaborative delivery of services. All affected local agencies and entities shall participate in creation of the local plan. Existing organizations may be used to develop the lifelong learning and community involvement in education plan, or to serve as the lead agency.

(2) Communities with lifelong learning and community involvement in education plans are eligible to apply for grants to provide services and promote collaboration between services.

(3) Any community may request technical assistance to develop lifelong learning and community involvement in education plans or further develop lifelong learning and community involvement in education opportunities in the community.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 6. The sum of five hundred thousand dollars, or as much thereof as may be necessary, is appropriated for the biennium ending June 30, 1995, from the general fund to the council for lifelong learning and community involvement in education to provide technical assistance and grants to local communities to develop lifelong learning and community involvement in education plans and services under section 5 of this act.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 7. Sections 1 through 5 of this act shall constitute a new chapter in Title 28A RCW.