AN ACT Relating to community service; amending RCW 41.06.072; adding a new chapter to Title 43 RCW; creating new sections; providing an expiration date; and making an appropriation.

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

PART I

OFFICE FOR CITIZEN SERVICE

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. (1) The legislature finds that:

(a) Citizen service engineers a change of heart, resulting in more consciously responsible citizens, an increased capacity for leadership, and a greater sense of collective responsibility;

(b) Instilling in youth a sense of community and an ethic of service to the community is an integral part of the educational process. For example, service learning can motivate the discouraged learner and provide training in skill areas that open future career options;

(c) Many citizens, including youth and seniors, are searching for constructive activities to channel their enthusiasm, talents, and commitment to helping fellow citizens and revitalizing their neighborhoods and communities;

(d) The creativity, idealism, and experience of citizens who volunteer in their communities can be resources for new public policies to address social problems;

(e) The dedication and commitment to excellence demonstrated by volunteers in citizen service programs should be recognized; and

(f) The state can take a leadership role in bringing government, schools, community organizations, private initiatives, institutions of higher education, and businesses together to intentionally foster ways to encourage citizen service and to coordinate existing part-time and full-time citizen service programs.

(2) It is therefore the legislature's intent to create an office for citizen service to enable Washington to be a leader in encouraging and facilitating citizen service by citizens of all ages throughout the state.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. There is established within the department of community development an office for citizen service. The governor shall appoint the director of the office from a list of three persons recommended by the serve Washington council established in section 5 of this act. The director may employ such staff as necessary to carry out the purposes of this chapter. The provisions of chapter 41.06 RCW do not apply to the director.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 3. In carrying out its mission to provide leadership, coordination, and assistance in fostering citizen service, the office shall:

(1) Serve as a liaison and a networking resource between community organizations, schools, institutions of higher education, businesses, and government service programs to link volunteers with service opportunities and to coordinate collaborative efforts between such organizations;

(2) Cooperate with the center for voluntary action to enhance and expand the following activities:

(a) Providing an information clearinghouse and developing a resource library;

(b) Developing a way to recognize and reward citizens who serve their communities and the state in both a part-time and full-time capacity; and

(c) Serving as a broker for information resources, technical assistance, and expertise in training and facilitating citizen service;

(3) Initiate pilot projects and develop and support models for citizen service which:

(a) Work with the higher education coordinating board to provide service opportunities at every campus for students who wish to serve and to incorporate citizen service by students enrolled in institutions of higher education into the students' courses of study on a credit or noncredit basis;

(b) Integrate citizen service by students in public or private schools into the schools' curricula as an experiential learning tool or as an integral part of the school curriculum; and

(4) Actively seek funding from the federal government and private foundations to initiate, continue, or expand citizen service programs or pilot projects throughout the state;

(5) In the event that funds are made available, administer grant programs to initiate, continue, or expand citizen service programs run by community organizations, schools, institutions of higher education, or government agencies;

(6) Foster and promote service-based private initiatives;

(7) Promote the institutionalization of service components among existing organizations and agencies;

(8) Recommend to the governor and the legislature additional policies that encourage and facilitate citizen service throughout the state; and

(9) Report to the legislature and the governor each biennium on the progress of the office, including an assessment of the activities accomplished to meet the goals of the office.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 4. The office may receive such gifts, grants, and endowments from private or public sources, as may be made from time to time, in trust or otherwise, for the use and benefit of the purpose of the office or the purposes of this chapter and may expend the same or any income therefrom according to the terms of the gifts, grants, or endowments.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 5. (1) There is created the serve Washington council to assist and advise the office for citizen service in the accomplishment of its mission.

(2) The council shall consist of one representative from each of the following state agencies, to be appointed by the head of the appropriate agency:

(a) The office of the superintendent of public instruction;

(b) The higher education coordinating board;

(d) The department of social and health services.

The council shall also consist of a representative of the governor's office, to be appointed by the governor, and a member of the legislature, to be appointed jointly by the speaker of the house of representatives and the president of the senate.

(3) The six members appointed under subsection (2) of this section shall appoint the remaining twelve members of the council. The remaining members shall represent the following interests or interest groups:

(a) A full-time citizen service program;

(b) Higher education;

(d) Senior citizens;

(e) A citizen service program sponsored by a business in the private sector;

(f) Students;

(g) A private initiative in citizen service;

(h) Labor;

(i) Business;

(j) Local government;

(k) Environmentalists; and

(l) The military.

(4) Persons appointing members of the council shall attempt to provide a reasonable age, gender, ethnic, and geographic balance of representation on the council.

(5) The chair of the serve Washington council shall be elected by the members. Members shall serve a two-year term on the serve Washington council and are eligible for reappointment.

(6) Members shall be reimbursed for travel expenses as provided in RCW 43.03.050 and 43.03.060.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 6. Sections 1 through 5 of this act shall constitute a new chapter in Title 43 RCW.

Sec. 7. Section 8, chapter 266, Laws of 1986 and RCW 41.06.072 are each amended to read as follows:

In addition to the exemptions set forth in this chapter, this chapter shall not apply within the department of community development to the state historic preservation officer ((~~and~~)), up to two professional staff members within the emergency management program, and the director of the office for citizen service.

PART II

SERVE WASHINGTON PILOT PROGRAM

NEW SECTION. Sec. 8. (1) The legislature believes that providing an opportunity for service to the community is an effective way to develop the values, understanding, and skills necessary for full and effective participation in a democratic society.

(2) To encourage service activities by youth, the legislature creates the serve Washington pilot program. The purpose of the program is to provide funds to k-12 and higher education service projects and to full-time service projects for out-of-school use.

(3) The office for citizen service may grant funds to selected applicants for the implementation of service activities by youth.

(a) At least one grant shall be awarded to a project that is part of a major school restructuring program, including but not limited to a school selected as a participant in the schools for the twenty-first century program.

(b) At least one grant shall be awarded to a higher education service project.

(d) At least one grant shall be awarded to a project being conducted in collaboration with an existing public or private nonprofit agency.

(4) The office for citizen service shall report on these programs to the house of representatives and senate education committees no later than January 1, 1992.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 9. The office for citizen service, in cooperation with the superintendent of public instruction, shall identify objectives for projects to promote the goal of developing the values, understanding, and skills necessary for full and effective participation in a democratic society and shall develop outcome indicators to be used to assess the effectiveness of the projects.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 10. The office for citizen service shall evaluate the projects receiving funding under section 8 of this act. Such evaluation shall include a description of the participants and the service activities undertaken, an assessment of whether the objectives adopted by the committee under section 9 of this act have been achieved, and a verification of the program costs. K-12 projects which have achieved the objectives shall be considered validated and all evaluation information relative to validated projects shall be made available to all school districts through the state clearinghouse for educational information.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 11. Sections 8 through 10 of this act shall expire January 10, 1992.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 12. The sum of two hundred 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 purposes of this act.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 13. If any provision of this act or its application to any person or circumstance is held invalid, the remainder of the act or the application of the provision to other persons or circumstances is not affected.