H-1967              _______________________________________________

                                           SUBSTITUTE HOUSE BILL NO. 605

                        _______________________________________________

State of Washington                              50th Legislature                              1987 Regular Session

By House Committee on Higher Education (originally sponsored by Representatives Jacobsen, Belcher, Niemi, Nelson, Appelwick, Allen, Cole and P. King)

Read first time 2/27/87 and passed to Committee on Rules.

AN ACT Relating to child care; adding new sections to chapter 28B.16 RCW; and making an appropriation.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1.     The legislature recognizes that nearby or on-site child day care for employees of public and private organizations is a worthwhile pursuit.  To further the goals of affordable, accessible, and quality child care for working parents, the legislature intends to establish a self-supporting child care demonstration project for civil service state employees of the University of Washington.  The legislature recognizes that appropriate child day care services may enhance productivity and lower absenteeism among civil service state employees.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2.     The higher education personnel board, in conjunction with  representatives of the University of Washington civil service employee organizations, shall identify an amount of suitable space in nonuniversity state-owned, state-leased, or nearby buildings in the University of Washington area of Seattle for use as child day care centers for the children of University of Washington civil service employees.

          The higher education personnel board shall establish a fair rental rate for the organization to pay for the space used.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 3.     (1) The higher education personnel board shall conduct a needs assessment to determine the need for and interest in child day care facilities for the children of civil service state employees at the University of Washington;

          (2) The higher education personnel board shall determine the number of children which may participate in the demonstration project required under sections 1 through 3 of this act;

          (3) If the suitable space is determined to be available, the higher education personnel board shall contract with one or more organizations to operate child day care facilities for the children identified under this section.  Such facilities may be located in one or more buildings as identified under section 2 of this act; and

          (4) The higher education personnel board, in conjunction with representatives of the University of Washington civil service employee organizations, shall develop criteria to ensure that every effort is made to ensure that children of parents with greatest need are granted highest priority for participation in the child care demonstration project.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 4.     Sections 1 through 3 of this act are each added to chapter 28B.16 RCW.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 5.     The sum of seventy-five thousand dollars, or as much thereof as may be necessary, is appropriated for the biennium ending June 30, 1989, from the general fund to the higher education personnel board to conduct a needs assessment to determine the need for and interest in child day care services for civil service state employees at the University of Washington and for start-up costs to implement this act.