HOUSE BILL ANALYSIS

                 HB  1405

Title:  An act relating to assisting school districts to establish and develop educational foundations.

Brief Description:  Requiring the office of the superintendent of public instruction to provide support to individuals and organizations for the establishment of nonprofit education foundations.

Sponsors:  Representatives Dickerson, Skinner, Quall, Haigh, H. Sommers, Talcott, Thomas, Schual‑Berke, Lovick, Conway, Kenney, Ogden, Cody, Santos, O'Brien, Murray, Lantz, Wolfe, Stensen, Linville, Kessler and Rockefeller.

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION

Meeting Date:  February 8, 1999.

Bill Analysis Prepared by:  Susan Morrissey (786-7111).

Background:  Educational foundations are private, nonprofit corporations that are created to provide financial and other support to public schools.  These entities are often able to access private, local, and federal resources not otherwise available to schools, and therefore are in a unique position to serve students in innovative ways.  Typical educational foundation projects include drop-out prevention programs, homeschool partnership programs, college scholarship programs, technology support, and assistance to young children and their parents.

The 1995 Legislature directed the Department of Community, Trade and Economic Development to hire a contractor to assist in the development of educational foundations.  The requirement expired on December 31, 1997, and included a provision that made it null and void if it was not funded in the 1995-97 biennial budget.  The legislation was not funded in the budget, so the bill was null and void.

Summary of Bill:  The Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction is directed to contract with individuals or organizations in order to help individuals and organizations to establish and develop nonprofit educational foundations.  The office will solicit proposals from both identified organizations and from others who have the appropriate experience and expertise.  Individuals or organizations awarded contracts will provide support, guidance, training, and technical assistance to those seeking to establish and develop educational foundations.

An appropriation of $75,000 per year for each year of the 1999-2001 biennium is provided to the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction from the general fund for the purposes of this act.

Appropriation:  The sum of $75,000 to the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction from the general fund.

Fiscal Note:  Requested on January 26, 1999.

Effective Date:  Ninety days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.