S-4943               _______________________________________________

                                         SUBSTITUTE SENATE BILL NO. 6764

                        _______________________________________________

State of Washington                               51st Legislature                              1990 Regular Session

By Senate Committee on Education (originally sponsored by Senators Rinehart, Bailey and Fleming)

Read first time 2/2/90.

AN ACT Relating to community support for education; creating new sections; and providing an expiration date.

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

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1.     The legislature finds that providing productive activities for children after school will protect children who would not otherwise be under the care and supervision of adults.  The legislature further finds that after school activities in libraries will help children improve language and reading skills and promote social and intellectual growth.  Positive alternatives to street life will be provided.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2.     (1) The learn-in-libraries program is hereby created.  The state library commission shall administer the program.

          (2) The state library commission may provide grants, with funds appropriated for that purpose, to local libraries to develop and implement learn- in-library programs that provide after school programs for children.  Grant applicants shall be encouraged to develop programs that use older adult volunteers and other community volunteer resources.  The programs shall be designed to increase literacy, improve reading skills, encourage reading, and provide homework assistance for school-age children who would otherwise be unsupervised.  Applicants shall be encouraged to develop innovative models to provide services.

          (3) The state library commission shall report to the legislature on the results of the program.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 3.     If specific funding for the purposes of this act, referencing this act by bill number, is not provided by June 30, 1990, in the omnibus appropriations act, this act shall be null and void.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 4.     Sections 1 and 2 of this act shall expire December 1, 1991.