H-1589.1  _______________________________________________

                    SUBSTITUTE HOUSE BILL 1084

          _______________________________________________

State of Washington      55th Legislature     1997 Regular Session

By House Committee on Education (originally sponsored by Representatives Mulliken, Johnson, Koster, Backlund, Sump, Talcott, Crouse, Thompson, Mielke, Bush, Boldt, Benson, Sherstad, Carrell, Smith and Van Luven)

Read first time 02/06/97.

Authorizing parents to inspect classroom materials.

    AN ACT Relating to authorizing parents to inspect classroom materials; and adding a new section to chapter 28A.605 RCW.

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

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1.  A new section is added to chapter 28A.605 RCW to read as follows:

    (1) A parent has a right to inspect classroom materials.  Upon the written request or personal appearance of a parent or legal guardian of a student, a public school shall make available for inspection by the parent or legal guardian, during school hours, any classroom instructional materials, including textbooks, teacher manuals, library books, films, videotapes, audio tapes, computer programs, supplementary materials, or any other materials associated with the education or instruction of the student by the school.  Materials physically located in the school must be made available within five working days of the request.  Materials within the school district must be made available within fourteen working days of the request.

    (2) A parent may inspect all instructional materials including teachers' manuals, tapes, or other supplementary materials, or instructional materials that may be used by any quest speaker, in presenting any of the components of subsection (1) of this section.

    (3) Employees of a school district may not encourage a student to withhold materials or other information concerning classroom activities, tests, discussions, or programs from his or her parents.

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