SENATE BILL REPORT

HB 1288

This analysis was prepared by non-partisan legislative staff for the use of legislative members in their deliberations. This analysis is not a part of the legislation nor does it constitute a statement of legislative intent.

As Reported by Senate Committee On:

Early Learning & K-12 Education, March 23, 2009

Title: An act relating to exempting the annual parental declaration of intent to home school from the public disclosure act.

Sponsors: Representatives Upthegrove, McCune, Simpson, Herrera, Newhouse, Armstrong, Roach, Quall, Orwall, Pettigrew, Bailey, Shea, Smith, Orcutt, Sullivan, Eddy, Johnson, Nelson, Ormsby, Kretz and Kristiansen.

Majority Report: Do pass.

Signed by Senators McAuliffe, Chair; Kauffman, Vice Chair, Early Learning; Oemig, Vice Chair, K-12; King, Ranking Minority Member; Brandland, Hobbs, Holmquist, Jarrett, McDermott, Roach and Tom.

Background: Under current law, each parent whose child is receiving home-based instruction has the duty to, among other requirements, annually file a signed declaration of intent that the parent is planning to provide home-based instruction to his or her child. The declaration must be written in a format prescribed by the Superintendent of Public Instruction and include the name and age of the child and whether a certificated person will be supervising the instruction. In the 2008-09 school year 10,787 families registered to provide home-based instruction to 16,577 children. This declaration is subject to the Public Records Act that requires all state and local government agencies to make all public records available for public inspection and copying unless they fall within certain statutory exemptions.

Summary of Bill: The annual declaration of intent to provide home-based instruction filed by a parent will not be subject to public disclosure.

Staff Summary of Public Testimony: PRO: This bill has been brought forth as a matter of equity. It is important to make sure that students who are homeschooled are treated as equally as other students with regard to the disclosure of student information. This bill would protect students because it exempts the declaration of intent to provide home-based instruction filed annually by parents from disclosure under the Public Records Act.