BILL REQ. #:  S-4034.1 

Read first time 01/23/2004.   Referred to Committee on Higher Education.

     AN ACT Relating to directing the institute for public policy to develop a proposal for establishing a Washington state women's history center or information network; creating new sections; providing an effective date; and declaring an emergency.

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

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1   The legislature finds that citizens of Washington state take great pride in the many landmark achievements in Washington state during the last several decades, and earlier, in achieving innumerable substantial improvements in legal rights and broad opportunities for women and girls. These include rights and opportunities in all spheres of life: Personal, professional, labor, education, business, science and technology, health, sports, arts, financial, community leadership, public administration, civil rights, political leadership, elective office, and much more. Because of the substantial commitment and dedicated efforts of untold tens of thousands of Washingtonians, state laws and opportunities for women in Washington advanced more quickly and substantially than in many other states. Washington achieved recognition as a bellwether state and a model for similar efforts in other states. The history of this sustained effort over many years is a significant component of Washington state history and national history. Many people are interested in learning about and researching how and why Washington has become such a major leader, and Washington students in kindergarten through grade twelve should have the opportunity to learn about this important part of state history.
     The legislature further finds that there has been no systematic effort to compile this landmark history, maintain documents, photographs, and other artifacts, or index where such items can be accessed. Unfortunately, much valuable history is scattered and fragmented. While various museums, archives, and libraries have some documentation of these important achievements, a very great quantity of historically valuable records and artifacts continue to reside in individuals' memories, organizational minutes, and boxes in people's attics and garages. Thus, without an intentional effort, this critical history might become lost to history forever.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 2   (1) The institute for public policy shall undertake a study and make recommendations to the 2005 legislature for development of a center or an information network, or both, that would achieve the following:
     (a) Develop an approach for systematically collecting, preserving, maintaining, and providing public access to historically valuable records and artifacts pertaining to women's history in Washington state;
     (b) Develop a general outline of where historically significant records and artifacts are located and may be accessed;
     (c) Encourage citizens with historically significant records and artifacts to preserve them and make them accessible;
     (d) Encourage development of educational programs and displays, including those which can tour throughout the state;
     (e) Encourage development of learning opportunities for K-12 students, as well as providing materials for women's history studies in colleges and universities;
     (f) Actively promote collection of oral histories;
     (g) Encourage research about this history;
     (h) Encourage private donations of funds to assist this effort; and
     (i) Encourage private donations or loans of records and artifacts for public access, including protecting the ability of donors to specify conditions under which loaned materials will be returned to the donor or their heirs.
     (2) The institute may create an advisory committee or engage in other efforts to consult with interested parties, including: Higher education institutions and archives, state and local libraries, state and local museums, state historical societies, state archives, interested organizations and individuals who participated in this historic effort, members and staff of the former state women's commission, current and former state elected officials and their staffs, current and former legislators and their staffs, historians, state agencies, local governments, office of financial management, state commissions on African-American affairs, Hispanic affairs, and Asian Pacific American affairs, governor's office of Indian affairs, business organizations, labor organizations, and such others as appropriate.
     (3) The institute shall submit its recommendations to the appropriate committees of the legislature by December 1, 2004.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 3   This act is necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, or safety, or support of the state government and its existing public institutions, and takes effect May 1, 2004.