FINAL BILL REPORT
SSB 6426



C 189 L 08
Synopsis as Enacted

Brief Description: Creating a task force to review and make recommendations regarding the Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunity for Military Children.

Sponsors: Senate Committee on Early Learning & K-12 Education (originally sponsored by Senators Hobbs, Shin, Swecker, Rasmussen, Fairley, Berkey, Rockefeller, Eide, Schoesler, Fraser, Kauffman, Kohl-Welles and McAuliffe).

Senate Committee on Early Learning & K-12 Education
House Committee on Education

Background: An interstate compact is a voluntary agreement between states usually enacted into law in the participating states upon federal congressional approval. In general, participating states enter into compact agreements to collectively address issues of concern to the individual states. For example, the member states of the interstate library compact list their policy and purpose statement as a desire to cooperate and share responsibilities and those types of library facilities and services which can be more economically or efficiently developed and maintained on a cooperative basis. Washington is a member of several such agreements to include the interstate compact on the placement of children, the interstate agreement on qualifications of educational personnel, and the interstate library compact, to name a few.

The Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunity for Military Children (the Compact) was developed by the Council of State Governments (CSG), the U.S. Department of Defense Office of Personnel and Readiness, along with representatives from several states and national education organizations. Washington did not participate in developing the Compact.

Washington is one of several states in which a measure has been introduced to adopt the Military Children Compact.

Summary: The Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction must convene and support a task force to review and make recommendations regarding the Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunity for Military Children. The task force must include four legislative members. The task force must review the Compact and issue a final report of findings and conclusions, including recommendations for legislative action if any, to the appropriate committees of the Legislature by December 1, 2008.

The final report must consider:

The task force must also address any provisions within the Compact that raise concerns of the task force members and must make recommendations on how to address those concerns within the final report.

Votes on Final Passage:

Senate      49   0
House      93   1   (House amended)
Senate            (Senate refused to concur)
House            (House insisted on position)
Senate      34   15   (Senate concurred)

Effective: June 12, 2008