S-3881               _______________________________________________

                                    SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 131

                        _______________________________________________

State of Washington                              49th Legislature                              1986 Regular Session

By Senators Goltz, Conner, Kiskaddon, Stratton, Saling, Bailey, Hayner, Cantu, McManus, McDonald and Craswell

Read first time 1/24/86 and referred to Committee on Education.

WHEREAS, The compulsory attendance laws require parents of children of ages eight to eighteen to send their children to a public or approved private school or be subject to a fine of twenty-five dollars for each day of unexcused absence from school; and

          WHEREAS, Parents who send their children to unapproved church schools are not exempt from the current compulsory attendance requirements; and

          WHEREAS, The legislature finds that information on the nature and effectiveness of education in unapproved church schools is scarce;

          NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, By the Senate of the State of Washington, the House of Representatives concurring, That a temporary commission on unapproved church schools be established to:

          (1) Study the number, teaching methods, and curriculums of unapproved church schools and their effectiveness in educating children;

          (2) Review laws and policies of other states with regard to unapproved church schools; and

          (3) Review court decisions regarding unapproved church schools both in this state and other states; and

          BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the commission be composed of eleven members as follows:

          (1) Four legislators with one from each caucus of each house appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives or the president of the senate as applicable;

          (2) The private education director of the office of the superintendent of public instruction;

          (3) The executive secretary of the Washington association of prosecuting attorneys or his or her designated representative; and

          (4) The following persons selected by the majority leader of the senate and the speaker of the house of representatives:

          (a) A superintendent of a school district or principal of a public school;

          (b) An administrator of an unapproved church school; and

          (c) Three parents whose children attend unapproved church schools; and

          BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That nonlegislative members of the commission shall not receive compensation but shall be reimbursed for travel expenses under RCW 43.03.050 and 43.03.060 and legislative members shall be reimbursed under RCW 44.04.120; and

          BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the members of the commission shall elect a member to serve as chairman and may adopt bylaws to govern the commission's proceedings; and

          BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the legislature shall provide staff and support services to the commission; and

          BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the commission shall report its findings to the legislature by January 1, 1990, and thereafter be disbanded.