H-0509.1  _______________________________________________

                          HOUSE BILL 1085

          _______________________________________________

State of Washington      55th Legislature     1997 Regular Session

By Representatives Mulliken, Johnson, Koster, Backlund, Sump, Talcott, Crouse, Thompson, Mielke, Bush, Sherstad, Carrell, Smith and Van Luven

Read first time 01/13/97.  Referred to Committee on Education.

Requiring notification before a school conducts certain student tests, questionnaires, surveys, analyses, or evaluations.

    AN ACT Relating to notification of student testing or survey; and adding a new section to chapter 28A.600 RCW.

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

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1.  A new section is added to chapter 28A.600 RCW to read as follows:

    (1) Except when generated by a student as a part of coursework, a public school must give parents or legal guardians advance written notice before the school, or before any person or organization under contract with the school, conducts any student test, questionnaire, survey, analysis, or evaluation that requests disclosure by the student of information about either the student or the student's parent or legal guardian's personal:  Political or religious affiliations, mental or psychological problems, sexual behavior or attitudes, illegal, self-incriminating, or demeaning behavior, critical appraisals of any other individual with whom the student has a family relationship, legally privileged information arising out of confidential relationships with persons such as lawyers, physicians, or ministers, or religious issues.  The notice must provide complete disclosure to the student's parent or legal guardian regarding the subject matter and nature of the test, questionnaire, survey, analysis, or evaluation.

    (2) No student may participate in any test, questionnaire, survey, analysis, or evaluation listed in subsection (1) of this section without prior written consent from the student's parent or legal guardian.

    (3) All materials that a school uses in conducting any student test, questionnaire, survey, analysis, or evaluation that involves disclosure of information described in subsection (1) of this section must be readily available for inspection by the parent or legal guardian of a student, at least ten days before their administration, at the school during normal school hours.  School personnel must also be readily available to answer questions relative to the materials.

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