AN ACT Relating to creating the Washington academic, innovation, and mentoring program; adding a new section to chapter 28A.215 RCW; and creating a new section.

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

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1.  A new section is added to chapter 28A.215 RCW to read as follows:

(1) The Washington academic, innovation, and mentoring program is established.

(2) The purpose of the program is to enable eligible neighborhood youth development entities to provide out-of-school time programs for youth ages six to eighteen years of age that include educational services, social emotional learning, mentoring, and linkages to positive, prosocial leisure, and recreational activities. The programs must be designed for mentoring and academic enrichment.

(3) Eligible entities must meet the following requirements:

(a) Ensure that sixty percent or more of the academic, innovation, and mentoring program participants must qualify for free or reduced-price lunch;

(b) Have an existing partnership with the school district and a commitment to develop a formalized data-sharing agreement;

(c) Be facility based;

(d) Combine, or have a plan to combine, academics and social emotional learning;

(e) Engage in a continuous program quality improvement process;

(f) Conduct national criminal background checks for all employees and volunteers who work with children; and

(g) Have adopted standards for care including staff training, health and safety standards, and mechanisms for assessing and enforcing the program's compliance with the standards.

(4) Nonprofit entities applying for funding as a statewide network must:

(a) Have an existing infrastructure or network of academic, innovation, and mentoring program grant-eligible entities;

(b) Provide after-school and summer programs with youth development services; and

(c) Provide proven and tested recreational, educational, and character-building programs for children ages six to eighteen years of age.

(5) The office of the superintendent of public instruction must submit a report to the appropriate education and fiscal committees of the legislature by December 31, 2018, and an annual update by December 31 each year thereafter. The report must outline the programs established, target populations, and pretesting and posttesting results.

--- END ---