H-4061.1
SUBSTITUTE HOUSE BILL 2381
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State of Washington | 64th Legislature | 2016 Regular Session |
By House Education (originally sponsored by Representatives Ortiz-Self, Kilduff, Walsh, Peterson, Gregerson, Cody, Caldier, Jinkins, Reykdal, Frame, Stanford, Sells, McBride, Bergquist, and Pollet)
READ FIRST TIME 02/02/16.
AN ACT Relating to creating a task force on school counselors, psychologists, and social workers; creating a new section; and providing an expiration date.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. (1)(a) The Washington professional educator standards board shall convene a task force on school counselors, psychologists, and social workers, with members as provided in this subsection.
(i) The president of the senate shall appoint one member from the early learning and K-12 education committee.
(ii) The speaker of the house of representatives shall appoint one member from the education committee.
(iii) The governor shall appoint one member representing school counselor, psychologist, and social worker preparation programs.
(iv) The superintendent of public instruction shall appoint one member representing the office of the superintendent of public instruction.
(v) The professional educator standards board shall appoint one member representing the professional educator standards board.
(vi) The professional educator standards board shall appoint one member each from associations representing: School counselors; school psychologists; school social workers; educators; and principals. Appointments made under this subsection (1)(a)(vi) must be from lists of candidates provided by the associations.
(b) The professional educator standards board must provide staff support for the task force.
(c) Appointments made under this section by the president of the senate and the speaker of the house of representatives must be from different political parties.
(2) The task force shall review the following issues:
(a) The projected need of school districts for school counselors, psychologists, and social workers;
(b) The current capacity of the state for meeting this need;
(c) Alternative certification routes for school counselors and social workers; and
(d) School counselor, psychologist, and social worker preparation programs to determine whether professionals completing these programs have the proper preparation to respond to the mental health and safety needs of students, and to provide students with necessary social and emotional supports.
(3) The task force must, in accordance with RCW
43.01.036, report its findings and recommendations to the appropriate committees of the legislature, the professional educator standards board, the superintendent of public instruction, and the governor by December 1, 2016.
(4) This section expires July 1, 2017.
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