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ENGROSSED SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 8444
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AS AMENDED BY THE HOUSE
Passed Legislature - 1990 E1
State of Washington 51st Legislature 1990 Regular Session
By Senators Wojahn, Vognild, Warnke, Bauer, Rasmussen, McDonald, West, Madsen, Talmadge, Fleming, Lee, Sellar, Smith, Johnson, Niemi, Craswell, Owen, Williams, Cantu, Saling, Newhouse and Moore
Read first time 3/21/90. Under suspension of rules placed on second reading calendar.
WHEREAS, Article XIII of the Washington Constitution guarantees that the state will foster and support institutions "for the benefit of youth who are blind or deaf or otherwise disabled" and "for persons who are mentally ill or developmentally disabled"; and
WHEREAS, Article XVI of the Washington Constitution provides that all public lands granted to the state are held in trust for all the people of the state and shall not be disposed of except for the full market value of the estate or interest disposed of; and
WHEREAS, The Territory of Washington and the State of Washington have received, purchased, or otherwise acquired lands at various times dedicated to the support of the mentally ill or developmentally disabled totaling many thousands of acres, from the United States and from private citizens and other sources; and
WHEREAS, The title and uses of some of these lands is currently in dispute and under threat of costly litigation; and
WHEREAS, Many of these lands have not always been managed in the best interests of the mentally ill or developmentally disabled and the full income potential of these lands has not always been directed toward the care of the mentally ill and developmentally disabled; and
WHEREAS, The lands are managed by different state agencies; and
WHEREAS, Many of the lands used for institutional purposes are now considered surplus in whole or part; and
WHEREAS, The state is now funding community-based services for the mentally ill and developmentally disabled;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, By the Senate of the State of Washington, the House of Representatives concurring, That the Senate Health and Long-Term Care and Ways and Means Committees and the House Capital Facilities and Financing and Human Services Committees shall review the management of state lands devoted to the care of mentally ill and disabled persons and other lands held in trust, and shall make recommendations to the 1991 session of the legislature that will ensure that the management of these lands is consistent with constitutional and trust law requirements.