SENATE BILL REPORT

HB 1694

BYRepresentatives Betrozoff, Peery, Holland, Rasmussen andP. King; by request of  Superintendent of Public Instruction

Specifying some of the personal qualifications that are prerequisites to applying for a teaching certificate.

House Committe on Education

Senate Committee on Education

Senate Hearing Date(s):February 22, 1988

Majority Report:  Do pass.

      Signed by Senators Bailey, Chairman; Kiskaddon, Vice Chairman; Bauer, Bender, Gaspard, Rinehart.

Senate Staff:Don Bennett (786-7424)

                  February 23, 1988

AS REPORTED BY COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION, FEBRUARY 22, 1988

BACKGROUND:

Legislation passed in the 1987 session requires background checks of prospective employees of businesses and organizations providing education, training, treatment, supervision, or recreation for developmentally disabled persons or children under sixteen years of age.

Any prospective employee who will or may have unsupervised access to children under sixteen years of age or developmentally disabled persons during the course of employment is subject to the background check required by the new law.

The State Board of Education requires applicants for initial certification to undergo a background check through the Washington state patrol criminal identification system at the applicant's expense.

Programs at the state's five public vocational-technical institutes are exclusively provided for students over sixteen years of age.

SUMMARY:

Persons applying for certification which restricts them to teaching students who are sixteen years of age or older are exempt from the requirement of submitting to a background check by the Washington State Patrol as a condition of certification.

A section of prior law placing the burden on school districts to verify evidence of moral character and fitness is repealed.  This requirement is obsolete as a result of the background checks now required for initial certification.

Appropriation:    none

Revenue:    none

Fiscal Note:      none requested

Senate Committee - Testified: Tim Strege, Council of Area Vocational-Technical Institutes (for); Judy Hartmann, Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (for)