BILL REQ. #:  H-3388.2 

Read first time 01/23/2006.   Referred to Committee on Education.

     AN ACT Relating to civics education; creating new sections; making appropriations; and providing an expiration date.

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

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1   (1) The legislature finds that the complexity of modern political life has created a demand for informed citizens who are willing not only to vote, but also to participate in the elections process.
     (2) The purpose of this section is to create a pilot project that will help to graduate students who are better voters, better citizens, and who are ready to take an informed and responsible place in society.
     (3) The office of the superintendent of public instruction shall work with selected county auditors' offices to develop an interactive high school civics curriculum to help students learn how to become informed citizens. The curriculum shall meet the requirements for the office of the superintendent of public instruction's classroom-based assessments. Staff from the office of the superintendent of public instruction shall work directly in the curriculum development.
     (4) Counties shall apply to, and be selected by, the office of the superintendent of public instruction to participate in the pilot project under this section. A maximum of fifteen counties may participate.
     (5) The curriculum shall include, but not be limited to:
     (a) Local government organization;
     (b) A discussion of ballot measures, initiatives, and referenda;
     (c) The role of the precinct in defining ballots, candidates, and political activities;
     (d) The roles and responsibilities of taxing jurisdictions in establishing ballot measures; and
     (e) The work of conducting elections.
     (6) The study may include in the curriculum civics essential academic learning requirements relating to examining representative government and citizen participation and analyzing the purposes and organization of government and laws.
     (7) A curriculum guide shall be developed that will help teachers and students maximize the learning of key issues in civics, and shall include strategies for helping students develop voters' guide information for ballot issues and candidates who appear on the ballot. This guide should incorporate ideas from other Washington state civics education programs, such as "We the People" and "Project Citizen." The guide should also present ideas for sharing the results of an election with the larger community and with local government officials in productive, meaningful ways.
     (8) As part of the pilot project, high school students in participating counties shall be selected who will have supervised access to the county's election reporting web site to assist the county in managing its internet election reporting system. School districts in participating counties shall select students to participate in this aspect of the pilot project. Counties shall provide technical assistance and elections expertise to participating schools, either through existing staff resources or through a county-chosen vendor.
     (9) In addition to the required components of the pilot project under this section, other activities may be included in the project, such as:
     (a) Conducting mock county elections at schools;
     (b) Using a school version of the county's reporting and election system to conduct school elections, including, where possible, having school election results posted on the county's election web site; and
     (c) Preparing an advisory issue on which the school or local community would vote, including issue preparation, conducting the election, and preparing a presentation to a local government official on the results of the advisory issue.
     (10) The pilot project shall operate for the 2006-07 and 2007-08 school years.
     (11) Funds for the pilot project shall be made available to the office of the superintendent of public instruction for a contract position in civics curriculum and for support costs for soliciting and implementing volunteer participation.
     (12) The office of the superintendent of public instruction shall adopt rules to implement this section, including rules specifying selection criteria for counties that wish to participate.
     (13) The superintendent of public instruction shall provide an interim report to appropriate committees of the legislature by December 1, 2008, and a final report by December 1, 2009, detailing the results of the project and budget recommendations for expansion, if appropriate.
     (14) This section expires January 31, 2010.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 2   The office of the secretary of state shall enter into an interlocal agreement under chapter 39.34 RCW with the office of the superintendent of public instruction in which the office of the secretary of state shall pay the office of the superintendent of public instruction a minimum of two hundred forty thousand dollars, representing funds received by the office of the secretary of state under the federal help America vote act, for the purpose of curriculum development by the office of the superintendent of public instruction under this section. Payment under this section shall be made no later than July 1, 2006. Funds under this section shall be used for an eighteen-month contract position at the office of the superintendent of public instruction, including seminars and follow-up costs.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 3   (1) The sum of two hundred thousand dollars, or as much thereof as may be necessary, is appropriated for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2007, from the general fund to the office of the state auditor for the purposes of this act.
     (2) The sum of two hundred thousand dollars, or as much thereof as may be necessary, is appropriated for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2008, from the general fund to the office of the state auditor for the purposes of this act.
     (3) The appropriations in this section shall be made available by the auditor's office directly to participating counties for internet requirements by December 31, 2008. Funding is for the purpose of supporting the prototype project. Counties may use funds for in-house development, vendor agreements, or to support existing services. Funding priority shall be given to counties in which technology and budgeting constraints would make participating in the pilot project a funding liability.