SCOPE AND OBJECT TO SECOND SUBSTITUTE HOUSE BILL NO.  1709

Request for ruling by Representative Skinner on Amendment 489 on April 11, 1997;

Ruling by Speaker Pro-tem Pennington on April 14, 1997

     The subject portion of the title of Second Substitute House Bill No. 1709 is: AN ACT Relating to mandates on school districts";

     The scope of the bill, as measured by the title of the act, is fairly narrow; amendments musst relate to mandates that are imposed on school districts.

     Amendment 489 by Representative Schoesler would propose to amend RCW 28A.335.210; by allowing monies made available to school districts as part of their construction or remodeling monies and now limited to art acquisition to be used for other construction costs or for the acquisition of equipment with an extended useful life.

     House Bill No. 1709, as introduced, proposed to repeal RCW 28A.335.210, the first substitute bill proposed by the Committee on Education, had an amendment to RCW 28A.335.210 that is very similar to the amendment contained in the second substitute bill now before us.

     While the Speaker has some doubts about whether RCW 28A.335.210, is really amandate on schoold districts, the bill as introduced and reported from two committees has treated it as a mandate on school districts.  The Speaker must treat it as a mandate on the districts as well.

     Altering a mandate on school districts, as Amendment 489 proposes to do, is clearly within the scope of the title.

     The object of Second Substitute House Bill No. 1709 is to allow schoold districts more flexibility in responding to certain state mandates, including the mandate relating to arts funding.

     The object of amendment 489 is to allow more flexiblity in responding to the arts funding mandate.

     The Speaker finds that Amendment 489 is within both the Scope and Object of Second Substitute House Bill 1709.

     Representative Skinner, your Point of Order is not well taken.