HOUSE BILL REPORT

                  HB 1091

             As Reported By House Committee On:

                          Education

Title:  An act relating to the recommendations of the joint select committee on education restructuring.

Brief Description:  Changing education provisions.

Sponsors:  Representatives Brumsickle, B. Thomas and Cole; by request of Joint Select Committee on Education Restructuring.

Brief History:

  Committee Activity:

Education:  1/24/95, 1/31/95 [DPS].

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION

Majority Report:  The substitute bill be substituted therefor and the substitute bill do pass.  Signed by 18 members:  Representatives Brumsickle, Chair; Elliot, Vice Chair; Johnson, Vice Chair; Cole, Ranking Minority Member; Poulsen, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; Clements; Dickerson; Fuhrman; Hatfield; McMahan; Pelesky; Quall; Radcliff; Smith; Talcott; B. Thomas; Thompson and Veloria.

Staff:  Robert Butts (786-7111).

Background:  In 1993, the Joint Select Committee on Education Restructuring was created by the Legislature as part of ESHB 1209 (Chapter 336, Laws of 1993).  One of the committee's duties was to review K-12 public education laws to identify laws that inhibit the achievement of a performance-based education system in Washington State, and report to the Legislature by November 15, 1994.  From July 1993 through November 1994, the committee developed review criteria; held a series of public meetings on the laws governing education; developed draft recommendations; distributed the recommendations for public comment; held public hearings on the recommendations; revised the recommendations; and submitted the recommendations to the Legislature.  The bill contains the final recommendations of the committee.

Summary of Substitute Bill:  The laws governing K-12 education are revised as follows:

Obsolete references and obsolete sections

Obsolete references to statutes that have been repealed are deleted.  Programs that have expired or have been replaced by other programs are deleted.  Studies and reports that have been completed are deleted.  Terminology that is no longer used is updated.

Recodifications/technical changes

Statutes are recodified to more appropriate places in the code, and technical corrections are made.

Unfunded programs

Programs requiring a specific state appropriation that are not currently receiving state funds are deleted, including:  the dropout prevention and retrieval program, the pilot program on school-based management, model curriculum guidelines, the minority teacher recruitment grant program, the teacher exchange programs, mandated training for evaluators, the cooperating teachers program, the fair start program, the six-plus-sixty volunteer program, school improvement and research projects, the all kids can learn incentive grants, and the international education program.  School districts retain the general authority to establish, or maintain such programs.

Reports

Selected reporting requirements are deleted.  The initial responsibility for reviewing which data is necessary to measure the progress of education reform is shifted from the Joint Select Committee on Education Restructuring to the Commission on Student Learning.  The committee retains the authority to make recommendations to the Legislature.

Permissive language

Selected language permitting or encouraging specific programs or activities by school districts is deleted.  However, school districts retain the general authority to establish or maintain such programs.

Mandates on school districts

A requirement that school officials and employees deliver books, papers, and moneys to their successor is repealed.   A mandate that requires school districts to consider job applicants who want to share jobs is deleted, but school districts are required to have a policy on job sharing by December 31, 1995.

Substitute Bill Compared to Original Bill:  A number of technical amendments were made, and a current law that requires teachers be provided a 30 minute lunch break was retained.

Appropriation:  None.

Fiscal Note:  Not Requested.

Effective Date of Substitute Bill:  Ninety days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.

Testimony For:  This bill includes the recommendations of the Joint Select Committee on Education Restructuring.

Testimony Against:  Provisions in the bill that would repeal requirements that teachers be given 30 minutes for lunch and that school districts consider applicants who want to share jobs should be deleted from the bill.  Both of these laws are needed, and should remain in state law.

Testified:  Lynn McKinnon, Public School Employees (pro); and Judy Hartmann, Washington Education Association (concerns).