S-0627.2  _______________________________________________

                         SENATE BILL 5427

          _______________________________________________

State of Washington      56th Legislature     1999 Regular Session

By Senators Hochstatter, Stevens and Roach

Read first time 01/22/1999.  Referred to Committee on Education.

Requiring that students be given copies of Our Constitution and What it Means before studying the federal and state constitutions.

    AN ACT Relating to study of the federal and state constitutions; amending RCW 28A.230.170; and creating a new section.

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

    Sec. 1.  RCW 28A.230.170 and 1985 c 341 s 1 are each amended to read as follows:

    The study of the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of the state of Washington shall be a condition prerequisite to graduation from the public and private high schools of this state.  The state board of education acting upon the advice of the superintendent of public instruction shall provide by rule or regulation for the implementation of this section.  Before beginning the study of the Constitution of the United States and the Washington state Constitution, each school district shall provide for its students copies of Our Constitution and What it Means, by William Kottmeyer and Thomas F. Eagleton.  State funds shall be used to purchase copies.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2.  If specific funding for the purposes of this act, referencing this act by bill or chapter number, is not provided by June 30, 1999, in the omnibus appropriations act, this act is null and void.

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