HOUSE BILL REPORT

                  HB 1573

                    As Passed Legislature

Title:  An act relating to authorizing educational agencies to rent, sell, or transfer assistive technology for the benefit of individuals with disabilities and authorizing the creation of interagency cooperative agreements for the purpose of providing assistive technology for children with disabilities.

Brief Description:  Authorizing educational agencies to rent, sell, or transfer assistive technology.

Sponsors:  By House Committee on Education (originally sponsored by  Representatives Dunn, Ogden, Carlson, Mason, Radcliff, Kenney, Cole, Wolfe, Van Luven, Sheldon, O'Brien, D. Schmidt, Alexander, Mielke, Cooke, Boldt, Keiser, Costa and Cooper).

Brief History:

Committee Activity:

Education:  2/13/97, 2/18/97 [DP].

Floor Activity:

Passed House:  3/3/97, 93‑0.

Passed Legislature.

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION

Majority Report:  Do pass.  Signed by 11 members:  Representatives Johnson, Chairman; Hickel, Vice Chairman; Cole, Ranking Minority Member; Keiser, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; Linville; Quall; Smith; Sterk; Sump; Talcott and Veloria.

Staff:  Joe Hauth (786-7111).

Background:  School districts, educational service districts, or any state or local governmental agency concerned with education may declare material as surplus, including textbooks, other books, equipment, portable facilities, or other materials.  If the district or agency declares the material as surplus, then it must notify the public and any public or private school that asks to be notified that the surplus material is available for sale, rent, or lease at depreciated cost or fair market value, whichever is greater, to public or private schools.  The district or agency must give priority to students who wish to purchase surplus textbooks, and must wait 30 days following the public notice before disposing of the property. 

An Aassistive device@ is any item, piece of equipment, or product system, whether acquired commercially, modified, or customized, that is used to increase, maintain, or improve the functional capabilities of children with disabilities. Assistive devices include such items as handmade picture boards, communication technology, and adaptive communication equipment and related software.

Summary of Bill:  Districts or agencies may loan, lease, sell, or transfer assistive devices to children with disabilities, their parents, or to public or private nonprofit agencies serving children with disabilities.  Districts or agencies do not have to declare assistive technology as surplus before disposing of the technology, or publicly announce the disposal of surplus assistive technology. 

Districts or agencies must record the sale or transfer of an assistive device, and must base the amount on the item=s depreciated value.  Districts or agencies must conduct an annual inventory of assistive technology devices that exceed $100, and establish an annual depreciation schedule. 

Districts or agencies may develop interagency agreements to acquire, jointly fund, maintain, sell, loan, lease or transfer assistive devices. 

Districts or agencies may collaborate in providing assistive technology services, including, but not limited to, assistive technology assessments and training.  AAssistive technology service@ is a service that directly assists a child with a disability in selecting, acquiring, or using an assistive technology device.  Assistive technology services include:

-Evaluating the needs of a child with a disability, including evaluating the child in the child=s customary environment;

-Purchasing, leasing, or providing for the acquisition of assistive technology devices;

-Selecting, designing, fitting, customizing, adapting, applying, retaining, repairing, or replacing assistive technology devices;

-Coordinating and using other therapies, interventions, or services with assistive technology devices, such as those associated with existing education and rehabilitation plans and programs;

-Training or assisting a child with a disability, or, if appropriate, the child=s family; and

-Training or assisting professionals, including those who provide education and rehabilitation services, employers, or others who are involved in the lives of children with disabilities.

Appropriation:  None.

Fiscal Note:  Requested on February 5, 1997.

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

Testimony For:  School districts and agencies have spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on assistive technology that they could have acquired from other districts or agencies at a much lower cost.   Easing the sale or transfer of assistive technology will improve the lives of disabled children and save taxpayer dollars.

Testimony Against:  None.

Testified:  Representative Dunn, prime sponsor; Toby Olson, Governor=s Committee on Disability Issues and Employment; Frances Pennell, Washington Assistive Teaching Alliance; Jeannie Goldbloom, Lake Washington School District; Cheryl Metcalf, the ARC of Washington Developmentally Disabled Community Advocacy; and Cynthia Flynn, Council of Presidents.