2403 AMH WOOB MORR 2

HB 2403 - H AMD 457 WITHDRAWN 2-14-00

By Representatives Woods and Haigh

Strike everything after the enacting clause and insert the following:

"NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. The legislature finds that more than two hundred fifty thousand of Washington's citizens served their country in the armed forces of the United States during World War II. The legislature also finds that almost six thousand of those citizens sacrificed their lives to secure our nation's and the world's peace and freedom. The legislature finds that the hardships and sacrifices endured by the families and communities of these service men and women were critical to the eventual success of our nation's defense.

It is the intent of the legislature to recognize the dedication of the men and women of Washington state who served or were wounded, killed, or missing in action during World War II by honoring these patriots through a contribution towards the construction of a national World War II memorial to be located in Washington, D.C., and through preservation of the memories of these stalwart patriots. The national World War II memorial will be the first national memorial dedicated to all who served during World War II. All military veterans of the war, the citizens on the home front, the nation at-large, and the high moral purpose and idealism that motivated the nation's call to arms will be honored with this memorial. The legislature also intends to honor the veterans who served in World War II, their supportive families, and others who contributed to the defense of our country, by preserving their memories so Washington's school children will never forget the significant human costs of war and the sacrifices of their ancestors to preserve and protect our country and the world from tyranny. The legislature further intends that efforts to honor and preserve the memories must include the memories of all women and men of our armed forces, their family members, and others involved in the war effort so that these memories mirror our nation's rich ethnic diversity.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. A new section is added to chapter 73.40 RCW to read as follows:

The national World War II memorial account is created in the custody of the state treasurer. All receipts from appropriations and other sources must be deposited into the account. Expenditures from the account may be used only for the national World War II memorial in Washington, D.C. Only the director of the department of veterans' affairs or the director's designee may authorize expenditures from the account. The account is subject to allotment procedures under chapter 43.88 RCW, but an appropriation is not required for expenditures.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 3. A new section is added to chapter 28A.300 RCW to read as follows:

(1) The World War II oral history project is established for the purpose of providing oral history presentations, documentation, and other materials to assist the office of the superintendent of public instruction and educators in the development of a curriculum for use in kindergarten through twelfth grade.

(2) The project shall be administered by the office of the superintendent of public instruction. The office shall convene an advisory committee to assist in the design and implementation of the project. The committee shall be composed of members of the World War II memorial educational foundation, the department of veterans affairs, the secretary of state's office, and legislators involved with and interested in the development of the oral history project. The committee may select its own chair and may expand its membership to include the services of other individuals, agencies, or organizations on the basis of need. The office shall provide staffing and administrative support to the advisory committee.

(3) The project will preserve for the education of Washington's school children the memories and history of our state's citizens who served their state and country as members of the armed forces or through national or community contributions during World War II. The project is intended to preserve these memories and history through audiotapes, videotapes, films, stories, printed transcripts, digitally, and through other appropriate methods.

(4) As part of the project, the office of the superintendent of public instruction shall identify the requirements regarding instructional guides to help educators use the preserved material in age and grade appropriate ways.

(5) In its administration of the project, the office may carry out its responsibilities through contracts with filming and taping specialists, mini-grants to schools, contracts with the World War II memorial educational foundation, and through other means recommended by the foundation. At least seventy-five percent of any appropriation for the program shall be used exclusively for recording, through videotapes and film, the first hand accounts of our state's citizens who served their state and country as members of the armed forces or through national or community contributions during World War II.

(6) By December 1, 2000, and every second year thereafter in which the project has received funding through the appropriations act, the office shall report on the results of the project to the governor and the house of representatives and senate committees on education. The December 2000 report shall include, but need not be limited to, identification of the project's implementation strategies and resource requirements, and any curriculum standards developed through the project."

Correct the title