H-1552.3  _______________________________________________

                          HOUSE BILL 2108

          _______________________________________________

State of Washington      57th Legislature     2001 Regular Session

By Representatives Talcott and Haigh

Read first time 02/14/2001.  Referred to Committee on Education.

Providing school districts the opportunity to waive fees for traffic safety education.

    AN ACT Relating to traffic safety and driver training programs; and adding a new section to chapter 28A.220 RCW.

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

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1.  A new section is added to chapter 28A.220 RCW to read as follows:

    (1) The legislature finds that traffic safety education provides a solid foundation for young drivers, and that driver education is required for anyone under the age of eighteen years seeking a driver's license.  Basic education is the state's primary responsibility.  However, driving is a privilege, and driver training is not part of basic education.  The state's subsidy of driver training programs has been approximately eight million annually in recent years.  The legislature further finds that creating incentives for students to meet the state's essential academic learning requirements to read with fluency and comprehension and write with skill has the potential to increase student achievement.

    (2) Any district that maintains a traffic safety education course under RCW 28A.220.030, and imposes a fee for enrollment or participation in its traffic safety education course under RCW 28A.220.040, may waive the fee or fees for a student who has demonstrated that he or she has met the state's tenth grade standards for reading and writing as defined by the academic achievement commission.

    (3) To be eligible for a fee waiver under this section, a student must demonstrate his or her ability to read with comprehension and write with skill by meeting or exceeding the state's reading and writing standards as defined by the academic achievement commission.  The academic achievement commission shall determine the level of achievement required on:

    (a) The tenth grade Washington assessment of student learning;

    (b) A norm-referenced test; or

    (c) An alternative assessment;

in order for the student to demonstrate his or her ability to read with comprehension and write with skill.

    (4) This section does not require districts to pay for or reimburse the cost of student-selected programs offered through outside providers.

    (5) This section is not intended to require funding of traffic safety education courses as part of basic education funding.

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