H-1415              _______________________________________________

                                                   HOUSE BILL NO. 2057

                        _______________________________________________

State of Washington                               51st Legislature                              1989 Regular Session

By Representatives Sayan, O'Brien, Rayburn, Moyer, Zellinsky, Winsley, Basich, Wood, Phillips and P. King

Read first time 2/17/89 and referred to Committees on Human Services/Appropriations (3/1/89).

AN ACT Relating to senior volunteers; creating a new section; making an appropriation; and declaring an emergency.

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

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1.     The legislature finds that there is a growing number of citizens in the state over the age of sixty who have much to offer their fellow citizens and communities through volunteering their services.  The legislature further finds that the distressed rural counties of Mason, Lewis, Benton, Franklin, and Grays Harbor, and the rural portions of Cowlitz county would benefit from increasing the involvement of senior citizen volunteers within their counties.

          Therefore, the legislature intends to encourage the increased involvement of senior volunteers by providing funding for grants in these rural counties to demonstrate the effectiveness of such programs.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2.     The sum of two hundred eighty thousand dollars, or as much thereof as may be necessary, is appropriated for the biennium ending June 30, 1991, from the general fund to the department of community development for the purpose of making grants to retired senior volunteer programs in accordance with the following:

          (1) The grants shall range in amount from ten thousand to fifty thousand dollars;

          (2) Fifteen percent of the moneys may be used by the department of community development for administering the grants;

          (3) None of the grant money may be used to displace any paid employee in the distressed county being served;

          (4) Grants may be made for programs that focus on:

          (a) Developing new roles for senior volunteers in nonprofit and public organizations with special emphasis on targeted areas.  The roles shall reflect the diversity of the senior population and shall respect their life experiences;

          (b) Increasing the expertise of volunteer managers and retired senior volunteer program directors in the areas of communication, recruitment, motivation, and retention of today's over-sixty population; and

          (c) Increasing the number of senior citizens recruited, referred, and placed with nonprofit and public organizations.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 3.     This act is necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, or safety, or support of the state government and its existing public institutions, and shall take effect immediately.