5381.EAMHHEH2954.1ESB 5381H COMM AMDBy Committee on Higher EducationADOPTED 04/06/2005 Strike everything after the enacting clause and insert thefollowing:NEW SECTION.Sec. The legislature finds that public policiesand programs will be improved when informed by independent scientificanalysis and communication with state and local policymakers.Throughout the state there are highly qualified persons in a wide rangeof scientific disciplines who are willing to contribute their time andexpertise in such reviews, but that presently there is lacking anorganizational structure in which the entire scientific community maymost effectively respond to requests for assessments of complex publicpolicy questions. Therefore it is the purpose of this act to authorizethe creation of the Washington academy of sciences as a nonprofitentity independent of government, whose principal mission will be theprovision of scientific analysis and recommendations on questionsreferred to the academy by the governor, the governor's designee, orthe legislature.NEW SECTION.Sec. The Washington academy of sciencesauthorized to be formed under section 3 of this act shall serve as aprincipal source of scientific investigation, examination, andreporting on scientific questions referred to the academy by thegovernor or the legislature under the provisions of section 4 of thisact. Nothing in this section or this chapter supersedes or diminishesthe responsibilities performed by scientists employed by the state orits political subdivisions.NEW SECTION.Sec. (1) The presidents of the University ofWashington and Washington State University shall jointly form and serveas the cochairs of an organizing committee for the purpose of creatingthe Washington academy of sciences as an independent entity to carry 1 out the purposes of this chapter. The committee should berepresentative of appropriate disciplines from the academic, private,governmental, and research sectors. (2) Staff from the University of Washington and Washington StateUniversity, and from other available entities, shall provide support tothe organizing committee under the direction of the cochairs. (3)(a) The committee shall investigate organizational structuresthat will ensure the participation or membership in the academy ofscientists and experts with distinction in their fields, and that willensure broad participation among the several disciplines that may becalled upon in the investigation, examination, and reporting uponquestions referred to the academy by the governor or the legislature. (b) The organizational structure shall include a process by whichthe academy responds to inquiries from the governor or the legislature,including but not limited to the identification of research projects,past or present, at Washington or other research institutions and thefindings of such research projects. (4) The committee cochairs shall use their best efforts to form thecommittee by January 1, 2006, and to complete the committee's review byApril 30, 2007. By April 30, 2007, the committee, or such individualsas the committee selects, shall file articles of incorporation tocreate the academy as a Washington independent organizational entity.The articles shall expressly recognize the power and responsibility ofthe academy to provide services as described in section 4 of this actupon request of the governor, the governor's designee, or thelegislature. The articles shall also provide for a board of directorsof the academy that includes distinguished scientists from the range ofdisciplines that may be called upon to provide such services to thestate and its political subdivisions, and provide a balance ofrepresentation from the academic, private, governmental, and researchsectors. (5) The articles shall provide for all such powers as may beappropriate or necessary to carry out the academy's purposes under thischapter, to the full extent allowable under the proposed organizationalstructure.NEW SECTION.Sec. (1) The academy shall investigate, examine,and report on any subject of science requested by the governor, the 2 governor's designee, or the legislature. The procedures for selectingpanels of experts to respond to such requests shall be set forth in thebylaws or other appropriate operating guidelines. In forming reviewpanels, the academy shall endeavor to assure that the panel membershave no conflicts of interest and that proposed panelists firstdisclose any advocacy positions or financial interest related to thequestions to be addressed by the panel that the candidate has heldwithin the past ten years. (2) The governor shall provide funding to the academy for theactual expense of such investigation, examination, and reports. Suchfunding shall be in addition to state funding assistance to the academyin its initial years of operation as described in section 6 of thisact.NEW SECTION.Sec. The academy may carry out functions orprovide services to its members and the public in addition to theservices provided under section 4 of this act, such as public educationprograms, newsletters, web sites, science fairs, and researchassistance.NEW SECTION.Sec. The organizational committee shall recommendprocedures and funding requirements for receiving and disbursingfunding in support of the academy's programs and services in a reportto the governor and the appropriate committees of the senate and houseof representatives no later than April 30, 2007.NEW SECTION.Sec. Sections 1 through 5 of this act constitutea new chapter in Title 70 RCW.--- END --- 3