Summary of Bill: The following laws are each repealed:

SPI must provide information about the immunization program.
An advisory committee must develop a model policy on access to nutritious foods and opportunities for developmentally appropriate exercise.
It is the goal of Washington State to ensure that by 2010, all districts must have school health advisory committees; only healthy food and beverages must be provided by schools during school hours or for school-sponsored activities; all student in grades one through eight must have at least 150 minutes of quality PE every week; PE must be conducted by appropriately certified instructors.
SPI must include information on the proper use of the left-hand lane in traffic safety courses.
SPI must include info on motorcycle awareness in traffic safety courses.
SPI must include information on driving safely among bicyclists and pedestrians in traffic safety courses.
Public schools must observe Temperance and Good Citizenship Day. Annually OSPI must produce a program for teachers for the day.
SPI, the Office of the Attorney General, and the Washington State Bar Association must develop a volunteer-based conflict resolution and mediation program for use in community groups.
If schools operate garden or farms for educational purposes, students must be given the opportunity to be involved and must learn about both organic and conventional growing methods.
Student Learning Plans are required for 8th through 12th grade students who were not successful on any or all of the content areas of the WASL or who may not be on track to graduate due to credit deficiencies or absences.

The following programs or requirements established by law are each suspended until July 1, 2013:

School districts must require visual and auditory screening and prepare or provide records. The suspension excludes what is necessary to comply with federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, as well as to serve children who are eligible for free or reduced-priced lunch.
The Legislature established the Washington Civil Liberties Public Education Program, which provides grants to educate the public or develop presentations to schools or other interested parties. SPI must allocate grants under the Washington Civil Liberties Public Education Program.
A financial education public-private partnership, which includes four members of the Legislature, is established.
A task force on gangs in schools examines gang activities affecting school safety. The task force works under the guidance of OSPI's school safety center, the school safety center advisory committee, and the Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs.
SPI must review current policies and assess the adequacy of programs for children with incarcerated parents and adopt additional policies. SPI must gather information and data on these children and participate in the Children of Incarcerated Parents Advisory Committee.

The following laws are amended:

To the extent funds are available, public school districts must comply with high-performance public buildings requirements and all major facility projects of public school districts receiving any funding in a state capital budget must be designed and constructed to at least the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design silver standard or the Washington sustainable school design protocol.
To the extent funds are available, a school district that offers highly capable program, must meet certain requirements.
Public and private schools must provide access to information about the meningococcal and human papillomavirus diseases and their vaccinations. Online access is sufficient, unless a parent specifically requests the information in writing.
To the extent possible, in-service training for treating students with asthma must be offered online and no more than once every three years.
To the extent possible, the training course for responding to a student who may be experiencing anaphylaxis, must be offered online and no more than once every three years.
School districts are encouraged, rather than required, to meet minimum standards for a preschool program if a school district has one.
SPI is authorized to establish rules of traffic safety education. Each school district must submit a report only in even-numbered years on its traffic safety program. If a district has a private school in its boundaries, to the extent funds are available, at least one class must given outside of regular school hours if there is sufficient demand. By January 1, 2011, SPI must survey districts regarding the impact of the rules and minimum hours of training and make revisions in order to reduce the burden on school districts.
Beginning with the 2011-12 year, SPI must provide high schools the contact information for programs offering college credit, including online advanced placement classes. These schools must publish entrance requirements and availability of local programs that lead to college credits.
SPI must collect and disseminate to districts information on child abuse and neglect prevention curriculum and adopt rules for the prevention of child abuse for curriculum use. Providing online access to this information is sufficient, unless a parent specifically requests the information in writing.
OSPI must not require annual training for child abuse and neglect. OSPI may consider offering training every four years. It is clarified that this does not apply to new employees who must receive training within the first year of their hire date. School districts are encouraged to work with private or nonprofit entities that have the ability to provide the appropriate training for staff.
OSPI must not require annual training in conflict resolution and other violence prevention topics. The training may be offered every four years.
To the extend funds are available, every school district must provide free instruction in lip reading to children and adults disabled by defective hearing whenever it appears to be in the best interest of the school district and the adults concerned.
Each school board must have a policy that addresses threats of violence. Specific requirements for procedures are removed.
School districts may provide parents with information regarding their rights under the Public Records Act, concerning requesting school employee discipline records for sexual misconduct. The information must be provided upon request, rather than annually.
The members of the boards of directors of Washington's school districts are no longer required to be become members of the Washington School Directors' Association (WSSDA). The WSSDA dues for each member school district are payable on the first day of January.
A school district's sexual harassment policy must be provided to each employee. The districts may choose to provide a copy of the policy online. OSPI must not require annual training to address sexual harassment policies. Beginning in 2013, training may be offered every four years, except for new employees who must receive training within the first year of their hire date.

Staff Summary of Public Testimony: PRO: The goal is to lift the burden of unfunded mandates on school districts. The time is now. Schools are having a hard time during this economic downturn. Businesses hate mandates and schools hate them as well. It is not a perfect bill, but we appreciate the effort, concept, and message. In some cases, a delay may be better than repealing. The elimination of student learning plans would make a difference. The intent for the plans is worthwhile, but in reality they have little or no real impact on students and are very difficult to accomplish. The gang taskforce brought forth bills this year, perhaps we need to rethink whether they should be eliminated.

CON: The nutrition sections create a model policy and set goals and should not have a fiscal impact. The policies have been developed so they are not a mandate. The goals to improve are not a mandate. Lack of vision screening could cause more kids to be referred to special education and to receive the wrong services. Vision screening should not be suspended. But if suspension is necessary, school districts must notify parents that the responsibility for vision is being transferred to them. One of the key deliverables for the Financial Education Public-Private Partnership is to make financial materials available, to the extent funds are available. There is no mandate in statute and the work can be funded with private dollars.

OTHER: Future mandates should come with appropriate funding. We applaud some changes in the bill, especially putting the information about meningococcal and human papillomavirus diseases and their vaccinations online. However, we oppose the decrease in training for asthma and anaphylaxis. Asthma is a dangerous chronic condition. School-based programs for asthma prevent missed school days. Not all staff have the knowledge to handle an anaphylactic situation. Training could be done electronically, and it should be available for new staff entering a district and for others once every three years. Do not repeal dues to WSSDA; it is important to have a statewide organization for districts. Do not delay funding for highly capable programs.