SENATE BILL REPORT

                   SB 5412

              As Reported By Senate Committee On:

                 Education, February 11, 1999

Title:  An act relating to the use of the education savings account to train educators in the effective use of technology.

Brief Description:  Authorizing the use of the education savings account for technology training for educators.

Sponsors:  Senators McAuliffe, Sellar, Rasmussen, Winsley, Eide, Bauer and Kohl‑Welles.

Brief History:

Committee Activity:  Education:  1/25/99, 2/11/99 [DPS, DNPS].

SENATE COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION

Majority Report:  That Substitute Senate Bill No. 5412 be substituted therefor, and the substitute bill do pass.

  Signed by Senators McAuliffe, Chair; Eide, Vice Chair; Bauer, Brown, Kohl‑Welles, Rasmussen and Swecker.

Minority Report:  Do not pass substitute.

  Signed by Senator Zarelli.

Staff:  Susan Mielke (786-7422)

Background:  As a result of legislation enacted in 1997, education programs receive a portion of appropriations to state agencies that remain unexpended at the end of each fiscal year.  Under previous law, unspent state appropriations at the end of a fiscal year would revert to the state General Fund.  Under the new law, state agencies can retain up to 50 percent of unspent appropriations (reversions) as an incentive for the agencies to achieve savings and operating efficiencies.  The remainder of the reversions is deposited in a new Education Savings Account.  This new account is dedicated to education programs, with 10 percent going to higher education purposes and 90 percent allocated to common school construction projects and K-12 technology improvements.  These funds are subject to legislative appropriation.

The 1997 appropriations from this account were $12.6 million for school construction and $39.2 million for technology improvements.  Deposits to this account were $54.5 million in Fiscal Year 1998 and are projected to be $24 million in Fiscal Year 1999.

Summary of Substitute Bill:  ESA funds may be spent on technology training for administrators, and certificated and classified staff, in addition to the other statutorily permitted expenditures.

Substitute Bill Compared to Original Bill:  The original bill addressed training for educators.  The substitute specifically lists administrators, classified and certificated staff.

Appropriation:  None.

Fiscal Note:  Not requested.

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

Testimony For:  In the past, ESA funds for technology improvements have been distributed as grants.  The plans that have been submitted to receive the grants have included a training component, but funds could not be awarded for the training components.  This bill would allow those funds to be used for training educators to use the technology improvements that are being bought with ESA funds.

Testimony Against:  This dilutes the amount of dollars that can be used for school construction and technology improvements.

Testified:  PRO:  Doug Nelson, PSE; Dwayne Slate, WSSDA; Norm Wisner, SPI.