BILL REQ. #:  Z-0504.1 

Read first time 01/24/2005.   Referred to Committee on Early Learning, K-12 & Higher Education.

     AN ACT Relating to the Washington academy of sciences; adding a new chapter to Title 70 RCW; and creating a new section.

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

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1   The legislature finds that public policies and programs will be improved when informed by independent scientific analysis and communication with state and local policymakers. Throughout the state there are highly qualified persons in a wide range of scientific disciplines who are willing to contribute their time and expertise in such reviews, but that presently there is lacking an organizational structure in which the entire scientific community may most effectively respond to requests for assessments of complex public policy questions. Therefore it is the purpose of this act to authorize the creation of the Washington academy of sciences as a nonprofit entity independent of government, whose principal mission will be the provision of scientific analysis and recommendations on questions referred to the academy by the governor or the governor's designee.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 2   The Washington academy of sciences authorized to be formed under section 3 of this act shall serve as a principal source of scientific investigation, examination, and reporting on scientific questions referred to the academy by the governor under the provisions of section 4 of this act. Nothing in this section or this chapter supersedes or diminishes the responsibilities performed by scientists employed by the state or its political subdivisions.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 3   (1) The presidents of the University of Washington and Washington State University shall jointly form and serve as the cochairs of an organizing committee for the purpose of creating the Washington academy of sciences as an independent entity to carry out the purposes of this chapter. The committee should be representative of appropriate disciplines from the academic, private, governmental, and research sectors.
     (2) Staff from the University of Washington and Washington State University, and from other available entities, shall provide support to the organizing committee under the direction of the cochairs.
     (3) The committee shall investigate organizational structures that will ensure the participation or membership in the academy of scientists and experts with distinction in their fields, and that will ensure broad participation among the several disciplines that may be called upon in the investigation, examination, and reporting upon questions referred to the academy by the governor.
     (4) The committee cochairs shall use their best efforts to form the committee by January 1, 2006, and to complete the committee's review by April 30, 2007. By April 30, 2007, the committee, or such individuals as the committee selects, shall file articles of incorporation to create the academy as a Washington independent organizational entity. The articles shall expressly recognize the power and responsibility of the academy to provide services as described in section 4 of this act upon request of the governor or the governor's designee. The articles shall also provide for a board of directors of the academy that includes distinguished scientists from the range of disciplines that may be called upon to provide such services to the state and its political subdivisions, and provide a balance of representation from the academic, private, governmental, and research sectors.
     (5) The articles shall provide for all such powers as may be appropriate or necessary to carry out the academy's purposes under this chapter, to the full extent allowable under the proposed organizational structure.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 4   (1) The academy shall investigate, examine, and report on any subject of science requested by the governor or the governor's designee. The procedures for selecting panels of experts to respond to such requests shall be set forth in the bylaws or other appropriate operating guidelines. In forming review panels, the academy shall endeavor to assure that the panel members have no conflicts of interest and that proposed panelists first disclose any advocacy positions or financial interest related to the questions to be addressed by the panel that the candidate has held within the past ten years.
     (2) The governor shall provide funding to the academy for the actual expense of such investigation, examination, and reports. Such funding shall be in addition to state funding assistance to the academy in its initial years of operation as described in section 6 of this act.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 5   The academy may carry out functions or provide services to its members and the public in addition to the services provided under section 4 of this act, such as public education programs, newsletters, web sites, science fairs, and research assistance.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 6   The organizational committee shall recommend procedures and funding requirements for receiving and disbursing funding in support of the academy's programs and services in a report to the governor and the appropriate committees of the senate and house of representatives no later than April 30, 2007.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 7   Sections 1 through 5 of this act constitute a new chapter in Title 70 RCW.