H-2536.1  _______________________________________________

                    SUBSTITUTE HOUSE BILL 1580

          _______________________________________________

State of Washington      55th Legislature     1997 Regular Session

By House Committee on Appropriations (originally sponsored by Representatives Regala, Cooke, Conway, Schoesler, Grant, Tokuda, Skinner, Benson, Chopp, Veloria, Van Luven, Blalock, Hatfield, Wood, O'Brien, Ogden and Constantine)

Read first time 03/05/97.

Providing funding for community gardens.

    AN ACT Relating to community gardens; and creating new sections.

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

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

    (1) Community gardens increase the effectiveness of local communities to take care of themselves, improve family interaction, increase the amount of fresh produce that families consume, improve people's ability to work in group situations, and reduce crime.

    (2) Many community gardens are managed by volunteers.

    (3) Cooperative extension service of Washington State University does not have the necessary resources to start, manage, and maintain community gardens.

    It is the intent of the legislature to support the development of community gardens through the cooperative extension services of Washington State University.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2.  If specific funding for the purposes of this act, referencing this act by bill or chapter number, is not provided by June 30, 1997, in the omnibus appropriations act, this act is null and void.

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