H-3491.1  _______________________________________________

 

                          HOUSE BILL 2734

          _______________________________________________

 

State of Washington      57th Legislature     2002 Regular Session

 

By Representatives Hankins, Grant, Delvin, Schoesler, Armstrong, Hatfield, Esser, Ruderman, Woods, Mitchell, Alexander, Anderson, Talcott and Schual‑Berke

 

Read first time 01/25/2002.  Referred to Committee on Education.

Providing funds for school science education.


    AN ACT Relating to support for school science education; amending RCW 28A.655.130 and 70.105D.070; and providing an effective date.

 

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

 

    Sec. 1.  RCW 28A.655.130 and 1999 c 388 s 402 are each amended to read as follows:

    (1) To the extent funds are appropriated, the office of the superintendent of public instruction annually shall allocate accountability implementation funds to school districts.  The purposes of the funds are to:  Develop and update student learning improvement plans; implement curriculum materials and instructional strategies; provide staff professional development to implement the selected curricula and instruction; develop and implement assessment strategies and training in assessment scoring; and fund other activities intended to improve student learning for all students, including students with diverse needs.  Activities funded by the allocations must be consistent with the school or district improvement plan, designed to improve the ability of teachers and other instructional certificated and classified staff to assist students in meeting the essential academic learning requirements, and designed to achieve state and local accountability goals.  Activities funded by the allocations shall be designed to protect the teachers' instructional time with students and minimize the use of substitute teachers.

    (2) Schools receiving funds shall develop, update as needed, and keep on file a school student learning improvement plan to achieve the student learning goals and essential academic learning requirements and to implement the assessment system as it is developed.  The plan shall delineate how the accountability implementation funds will be used to accomplish the requirements of this section.  The plan shall be made available to the public and to others upon request.

    (3) The superintendent of public instruction may allocate to school districts funds provided under RCW 70.105D.070(5) for curriculum materials and instructional strategies aligned to the state's essential academic learning requirements in science.

    (4) The amount of allocations shall be determined in the omnibus appropriations act.

    (((4))) (5) The state schools for the deaf and blind are eligible to receive allocations under this section.

    (((5))) (6) The superintendent of public instruction may adopt timelines and rules as necessary under chapter 34.05 RCW to administer the program, and require that schools and districts submit reports regarding the use of the funds.

 

    Sec. 2.  RCW 70.105D.070 and 2001 c 27 s 2 are each amended to read as follows:

    (1) The state toxics control account and the local toxics control account are hereby created in the state treasury.

    (2) The following moneys shall be deposited into the state toxics control account:  (a) Those revenues which are raised by the tax imposed under RCW 82.21.030 and which are attributable to that portion of the rate equal to thirty-three one-hundredths of one percent; (b) the costs of remedial actions recovered under this chapter or chapter 70.105A RCW; (c) penalties collected or recovered under this chapter; and (d) any other money appropriated or transferred to the account by the legislature.  Moneys in the account may be used only to carry out the purposes of this chapter, including but not limited to the following activities:

    (i) The state's responsibility for hazardous waste planning, management, regulation, enforcement, technical assistance, and public education required under chapter 70.105 RCW;

    (ii) The state's responsibility for solid waste planning, management, regulation, enforcement, technical assistance, and public education required under chapter 70.95 RCW;

    (iii) The hazardous waste cleanup program required under this chapter;

    (iv) State matching funds required under the federal cleanup law;

    (v) Financial assistance for local programs in accordance with chapters 70.95, 70.95C, 70.95I, and 70.105 RCW;

    (vi) State government programs for the safe reduction, recycling, or disposal of hazardous wastes from households, small businesses, and agriculture;

    (vii) Hazardous materials emergency response training;

    (viii) Water and environmental health protection and monitoring programs;

    (ix) Programs authorized under chapter 70.146 RCW;

    (x) ((A public participation program, including regional citizen advisory committees)) K-12 science education programs administered by the office of the superintendent of public instruction;

    (xi) Public funding to assist potentially liable persons to pay for the costs of remedial action in compliance with cleanup standards under RCW 70.105D.030(2)(e) but only when the amount and terms of such funding are established under a settlement agreement under RCW 70.105D.040(4) and when the director has found that the funding will achieve both (A) a substantially more expeditious or enhanced cleanup than would otherwise occur, and (B) the prevention or mitigation of unfair economic hardship; and

    (xii) Development and demonstration of alternative management technologies designed to carry out the top two hazardous waste management priorities of RCW 70.105.150.

    (3) The following moneys shall be deposited into the local toxics control account:  Those revenues which are raised by the tax imposed under RCW 82.21.030 and which are attributable to that portion of the rate equal to thirty-seven one-hundredths of one percent.

    (a) Moneys deposited in the local toxics control account shall be used by the department for grants or loans to local governments for the following purposes in descending order of priority:  (i) Remedial actions; (ii) hazardous waste plans and programs under chapter 70.105 RCW; (iii) solid waste plans and programs under chapters 70.95, 70.95C, 70.95I, and 70.105 RCW; (iv) funds for a program to assist in the assessment and cleanup of sites of methamphetamine production, but not to be used for the initial containment of such sites, consistent with the responsibilities and intent of RCW 69.50.511; and (v) cleanup and disposal of hazardous substances from abandoned or derelict vessels that pose a threat to human health or the environment.  For purposes of this subsection (3)(a)(v), "abandoned or derelict vessels" means vessels that have little or no value and either have no identified owner or have an identified owner lacking financial resources to clean up and dispose of the vessel.  Funds for plans and programs shall be allocated consistent with the priorities and matching requirements established in chapters 70.105, 70.95C, 70.95I, and 70.95 RCW.  During the 1999-2001 fiscal biennium, moneys in the account may also be used for the following activities:  Conducting a study of whether dioxins occur in fertilizers, soil amendments, and soils; reviewing applications for registration of fertilizers; and conducting a study of plant uptake of metals.

    (b) Funds may also be appropriated to the department of health to implement programs to reduce testing requirements under the federal safe drinking water act for public water systems.  The department of health shall reimburse the account from fees assessed under RCW 70.119A.115 by June 30, 1995.

    (4) Except for unanticipated receipts under RCW 43.79.260 through 43.79.282, moneys in the state and local toxics control accounts may be spent only after appropriation by statute.

    (5) One percent of the moneys deposited into the state and local toxics control accounts shall be ((allocated only for public participation grants to persons who may be adversely affected by a release or threatened release of a hazardous substance and to not-for-profit public interest organizations.  The primary purpose of these grants is to facilitate the participation by persons and organizations in the investigation and remedying of releases or threatened releases of hazardous substances and to implement the state's solid and hazardous waste management priorities.  However, during the 1999-2001 fiscal biennium, funding may not be granted to entities engaged in lobbying activities, and applicants may not be awarded grants if their cumulative grant awards under this section exceed two hundred thousand dollars.  No grant may exceed sixty thousand dollars.  Grants may be renewed annually)) appropriated to the office of the superintendent of public instruction, to be used solely for grants to school districts for instructional materials for science education, in amounts and in a manner identified by the superintendent of public instruction, and for school-based instructional programs provided by the pacific science center.  Priority in making grants to school districts for science education is given to projects and curricula emphasizing safe management of hazardous waste and water and environmental health protection.  Moneys appropriated for ((public participation)) science education from either account which are not expended at the close of any biennium shall revert to the state toxics control account.

    (6) No moneys deposited into either the state or local toxics control account may be used for solid waste incinerator feasibility studies, construction, maintenance, or operation.

    (7) The department shall adopt rules for grant or loan issuance and performance.

 

    NEW SECTION.  Sec. 3.  This act takes effect July 1, 2002.

 


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