HOUSE BILL REPORT

ESSB 5753

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.

Brief Summary of Engrossed Substitute Bill

(As Amended by Committee)

Repeals the requirement that the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) provide information on motorcycle awareness and the proper use of left-turn lanes in instructional materials for traffic safety courses.
Modifies the requirement that the OSPI collect and disseminate information on child abuse and neglect prevention to allow online access to the information and written information upon the request of a parent or guardian.
Removes temperance from "Temperance and Good Citizenship Day" to create "Good Citizenship Day."

Background:

Title 28A of the Revised Code of Washington includes the laws related to common schools and establishes the organizational structure of the common school system. Common schools are public schools operating a program for kindergarten through 12th grade, or components of that program. Certain chapters within Title 28A define the roles and responsibilities of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (SPI), educational service districts (ESDs), and school districts. Other chapters provide requirements for school buildings, the provision of information to school districts and parents or guardians, traffic safety, the observance of Temperance and Good Citizenship Day, school gardens, and Student Learning Plans.

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Summary of Amended Bill:

The requirement that the SPI disseminate child abuse and neglect prevention curriculum to school districts is modified to allow the provision of online access to this information, unless a parent or guardian specifically requests written information.

The following laws are repealed:

The SPI must include information on the proper use of the left-hand lane on multilane highways in instructional material used in traffic safety courses.
The SPI must include information on motorcycle awareness in instructional materials used in traffic safety courses.

The word temperance is removed from "Temperance and Good Citizenship Day" to create "Good Citizenship Day" as the day that is annually observed by each public school and for which the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction prepares pertinent topics circulated to teachers.

Amended Bill Compared to Engrossed Substitute Bill:

The modification to school district compliance with high-performance building requirements, making it dependent on whether funds are available, is removed in the amended bill.

The modification to the requirement that all major facility projects of public school districts receiving any state capital budget funding must be designed and constructed to at least the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design silver standard or the Washington Sustainable Schools Protocol, making it dependent on whether federal or state funds are available, is removed in the amended bill.

The suspension until July 1, 2015, of requirements that the SPI notify high schools with the contact information of entities offering college credit programs and that high schools annually publish and provide to parents entrance requirements and the availability of programs leading to college credit are removed in the amended bill.

The requirement that public schools observe "Temperance and Good Citizenship Day," and that the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction annually produce a program for teachers for that day, is restored in the amended bill but temperance is removed from "Temperance and Good Citizenship Day" to create "Good Citizenship Day."

Requirements related to schools that operate farms or gardens are restored in the amended bill.

The requirement that school districts prepare Student Learning Plans for eighth grade students who were not successful on any or all of the state assessment content areas during the previous school year or are not on track to graduate is restored in the amended bill.

Staff Summary of Public Testimony:

(In support) Many people complain about unfunded mandates, so many of them are put out there in this bill for discussion. To have every one of the unfunded mandates defended is important. Temperance and Good Citizenship Day is a day that no one remembers, but drug and alcohol awareness and good citizenship are taught in schools. It is better for us to provide child abuse and neglect information online. Addressing unfunded mandates is a painful process. It would be a great idea to have a committee regularly review these unfunded mandates to determine whether some are unnecessary.

(Other) Every year there is a questionnaire distributed asking school directors which unfunded mandates should be removed and how much cost savings there would be. There is very little savings from this bill. Bethel School District says this will save $7,000, which is very small compared with truancy requirements. The Legislature should focus on funding the Teacher/Principal Evaluation Project and professional development for our teachers. This bill is a good idea, but it does not check off all the unfunded mandates that are costing school districts money.

(Opposed) None.