H-1350.1
SUBSTITUTE HOUSE BILL 1692
State of Washington 68th Legislature 2023 Regular Session
By House State Government & Tribal Relations (originally sponsored by
Representatives Bergquist, Christian, Gregerson, Santos, Pollet,
Macri, and Simmons)
READ FIRST TIME 02/17/23.
1 AN ACT Relating to increasing youth engagement in the legislative
2 process by creating student advisory groups to examine issues
3 important to youth; amending RCW 43.15.095; adding a new section to
4 chapter 28A.345 RCW; adding a new chapter to Title 44 RCW; and
5 creating a new section.
6 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
7 NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. The legislature finds that people
8 participating in their government is an essential part of developing
9 public policy. Familiarizing students with their representative
10 government's policy development process increases social
11 responsibility and civic awareness that will benefit them now as
12 students and later as adults while improving our state. The
13 legislature further finds that policymakers can benefit from the
14 input of students presently in our kindergarten through grade 12
15 school system and those attending a community or technical college,
16 sharing insights and ideas on education and other issues affecting
17 youth in our state. Therefore, the legislature intends to establish
18 student councils, including 49 legislative district student councils
19 each representing one legislative district to ensure proportional and
20 geographical representation, to allow students to learn about and
p. 1 SHB 1692
1 participate in our representative democracy and share policy ideas
2 with their state elected officials.
3 NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. (1) A legislative district student council
4 is established in each legislative district to examine issues
5 important to youth. Legislative district student councils are
6 informal nonpartisan advisory bodies which may examine issues
7 affecting youth and education and make recommendations to legislators
8 on those issues. Each chair of a legislative district student
9 council, selected pursuant to this section, shall coordinate with the
10 legislators from the legislative district which the student member
11 represents to stand up and maintain their district's student council.
12 Each legislative district student council is facilitated by the
13 legislative office or offices of legislators who elect to assist in
14 facilitating the program. Participation in this process is
15 discretionary for each legislator.
16 (2) Consistent with the provisions of this act, the legislative
17 youth advisory council, in consultation with the student
18 representative network created in section 3 of this act, shall
19 develop:
20 (a) Processes and procedures that may be used to set up
21 legislative district student councils;
22 (b) An application and selection process that may be used to
23 select student members to serve on the council, including for the
24 position of chair for each legislative district student council;
25 (c) A model process, program, and duties for legislative district
26 student councils, which must include mechanisms for administration,
27 supervision, and facilitation support to the legislative district
28 student councils; and
29 (d) Model practices enabling qualifying schools to conduct
30 legislative district student council meetings as extracurricular
31 activities.
32 (3) Each legislative district student council is composed of no
33 more than 11 student members as follows:
34 (a) One chair, selected for each legislative district student
35 council by the legislative youth advisory council, established under
36 RCW 43.15.095. The legislative youth advisory council shall select
37 the initial chairs no later than October 1, 2023, with the selection
38 of the subsequent chairs being on June 1, 2025, and each June 1st
39 every two years thereafter.
p. 2 SHB 1692
 1 (b) To the extent possible, the Washington state school
2 directors' association shall select up to five student board
3 representatives from each legislative district who attend a public
4 school that serves students in any of grades nine through 12 and are
5 members of the Washington state school directors' association's
6 student representatives network to receive automatic membership to
7 that district's legislative district student council.
8 (c)(i) At least five additional members must be selected who are
9 under the age of 21 at the start of their term and attend either a
10 qualifying school that serves students in any of grades nine through
11 12 or a community or technical college, which is located within that
12 student council's legislative district.
13 (ii) Factors to consider for selection of the members described
14 in this subsection (3)(c) include:
15 (A) Balancing representation among the various grades, with at
16 least one student being in grade 11 and one being in grade 12; and
17 (B) Demonstrated a commitment to civic education through current
18 participation in another local youth council.
19 (iii)(A) For the selection of initial members described in this
20 subsection (3)(c) for new legislative district student councils, the
21 legislative youth advisory council shall form a committee consisting
22 of the chairs of each legislative district student council for the
23 purpose of selecting members for each legislative district student
24 council from the applications submitted. Initial members must be
25 selected by January 15, 2024.
26 (B) Subsequent selection of members described in this subsection
27 (3)(c) shall be the responsibility of each legislative district
28 student council and must occur no later than January 15, 2026, and on
29 January 15th every two years thereafter.
30 (4) To the closest extent feasible, the members of each
31 legislative district student council must attend either a qualifying
32 school that serves students in any of grades nine through 12 or a
33 community or technical college, that is in their council's
34 legislative district. If there are no applicants from a legislative
35 district, qualifying students who attend a qualifying school that
36 serves students in any of grades nine through 12 or a community or
37 technical college located in an adjacent legislative district may be
38 selected for membership.
39 (5) Membership terms are as follows:
p. 3 SHB 1692
 1 (a) Of the chairs initially selected, each chair shall serve two-
2 year terms except that students who are in grade 12 shall serve a
3 one-year term but may serve the full two-year term if they attend a
4 community or technical college within the student council's
5 legislative district in the following year. The term of each
6 subsequent chair shall be two years, but qualifying chairs may be
7 selected for subsequent two-year terms.
8 (b) Of the members initially selected to serve on a legislative
9 district student council, each member shall serve a two-year term,
10 except that students who are in grade 12 shall serve a one-year term
11 but may serve the full two-year term if they attend a community or
12 technical college within the student council's legislative district
13 in the following year. The term of each subsequent eligible member
14 shall be two years, but members may be selected for subsequent two-
15 year terms.
16 (c) In the case of a vacancy, the selection of a student member
17 to fill the remainder of an unexpired term must be conducted in the
18 same manner as the original appointment.
19 (6) Each student council may not conduct more than four in-person
20 meetings, with one of the in-person meetings occurring in person in
21 Olympia on the day of youth civic education organized by the
22 legislative youth advisory council, in collaboration with the student
23 representative network, pursuant to RCW 43.15.095(6)(g). Each student
24 council must attend the day of youth civic education in Olympia.
25 (7) The legislature, any agency of the legislature, and any
26 official or employee of such office or agency are immune from
27 liability for any injury that is incurred by or caused by a member of
28 the legislative district student council and that occurs while the
29 member of the council is performing duties of the council. The
30 immunity provided by this subsection does not apply to an injury
31 intentionally caused by the act or omission of an employee or
32 official of the office of the legislature or any agency of the
33 legislature.
34 (8) As used in this section:
35 (a) "Qualifying school" means a public school as defined in RCW
36 28A.150.010, a private school approved under chapter 28A.195 RCW, or
37 home-based instruction as defined in RCW 28A.225.010.
38 (b) "Student board representative" has the same definition as in
39 section 3 of this act.
p. 4 SHB 1692
 1 NEW SECTION. Sec. 3. A new section is added to chapter 28A.345
2 RCW to read as follows:
3 (1) The Washington state school directors' association shall form
4 a student representative network to examine issues important to youth
5 and engage student school board representatives in the legislative
6 process.
7 (2) Subject to the supervision of the Washington state school
8 directors' association, the duties of the student representative
9 network are as follows:
10 (a) Advise the legislature through feedback and testimony on
11 proposed and pending legislation, including policy matters relating
12 to youth;
13 (b) Advise the standing committees of the legislature and study
14 commissions, committees, and task forces through feedback and
15 testimony on issues relating to youth;
16 (c) Collaborate with the legislative youth advisory council
17 established under RCW 43.15.095 to organize an in-person annual day
18 of youth civic education in Olympia;
19 (d) Develop and assemble resources for new and existing student
20 board representatives;
21 (e) Provide writing, photos, and other content for the Washington
22 state school directors' association publications in consultation with
23 Washington state school directors' association staff;
24 (f) Collaborate with the Washington state school directors'
25 association standing committees, advisory committees, task forces,
26 and caucuses as invited; and
27 (g) Provide additional student voices at Washington state school
28 directors' association events in consultation with Washington state
29 school directors' association staff.
30 (3) When acting on behalf of the student representative network,
31 advocacy position and policy recommendations from network members
32 shall be in accordance with the Washington state school directors'
33 association's approved permanent and legislative positions. When
34 acting on behalf of individual school districts, legislative district
35 student councils, or the legislative youth advisory council
36 established under RCW 43.15.095, advocacy positions and policy
37 recommendations made by network members are considered independent
38 from the Washington state school directors' association.
39 (4) In supporting the student representative network, the
40 Washington state school directors' association shall provide network
p. 5 SHB 1692
 1 members the ability to learn about education policy issues and
2 determine best practices for establishing and supporting student
3 councils. Additionally, the Washington state school directors'
4 association shall facilitate a connection between network members and
5 the legislators in their legislative district.
6 (5) All student board representatives are automatically members
7 of the student representative network. The Washington state school
8 directors' association shall engage in outreach annually to each
9 school district to provide information about the student
10 representative network. To the greatest extent feasible, the
11 Washington state school directors' association shall identify at
12 least one student board representative from each legislative district
13 to participate in the student representative network. In legislative
14 districts where there are no established student board
15 representatives, the Washington state school directors' association
16 shall communicate with school districts to create awareness of and
17 share best practices about the role and encourage participation.
18 (6) The Washington state school directors' association shall
19 invite elected officials of the Washington legislature to participate
20 in the student representative network in an advisory capacity.
21 (7) The student representative network shall meet at least four
22 times per year, with one annual meeting occurring in person in
23 Olympia on a day established as a day of youth civic education. The
24 number of in-person meetings may not exceed four.
25 (8) The Washington state school directors' association, the
26 legislature, any agency of the legislature, and any official or
27 employee of such office or agency are immune from liability for any
28 injury that is incurred by or caused by a member of the student
29 representative network and that occurs while the member of the
30 network is performing duties of the network or is otherwise engaged
31 in activities or receiving services for which reimbursement is
32 allowed under subsection (7) of this section. The immunity provided
33 by this subsection does not apply to an injury intentionally caused
34 by the act or omission of an employee or official of the Washington
35 state school directors' association, the legislature, or any agency
36 of the legislature.
37 (9) In compliance with RCW 43.01.036, the student representative
38 network, in consultation and with the support of Washington state
39 school directors' association staff, shall report on December 1st of
40 each year to the appropriate committees of the legislature on the
p. 6 SHB 1692
1 number of student board representatives in Washington and the
2 activities of the network.
3 (10) As used in this section, "student board representative"
4 means a student who is recognized by their local school board as a
5 representative of the student body serving on that board.
6 Sec. 4. RCW 43.15.095 and 2022 c 96 s 6 are each amended to read
7 as follows:
8 (1) The legislative youth advisory council is established to
9 examine issues of importance to youth, including but not limited to
10 education, employment, strategies to increase youth participation in
11 state and municipal government, safe environments for youth,
12 substance abuse, emotional and physical health, foster care, poverty,
13 homelessness, and youth access to services on a statewide and
14 municipal basis.
15 (2) The council consists of at least ((twenty-two)) 22 members as
16 provided in this subsection who, at the time of appointment, are
17 ((aged)) age ((fourteen to eighteen)) 14 to 18. The council shall
18 select a chair from among its members.
19 (3) Members shall serve two-year terms and, if eligible, may be
20 reappointed for subsequent two-year terms.
21 (4)(a) Students may apply annually to be considered for
22 participation in the program by completing an online application form
23 and submitting the application to the legislative youth advisory
24 council. The council may develop selection criteria and an
25 application review process. The council shall recommend candidates
26 whose names will be submitted to the office of the lieutenant
27 governor for final selection. The office of the lieutenant governor
28 shall notify all applicants of the final selections.
29 (b) The office of the lieutenant governor shall make the
30 application available on the lieutenant governor's website.
31 (5) The legislative youth advisory council shall explore options
32 to expand its appointed membership and other methods of student
33 participation in the legislative youth advisory council to include
34 the participation of students from each legislative district who
35 attend a qualifying school, as defined under section 2 of this act,
36 that serves students in any of grades nine through 12 or a community
37 or technical college in that district.
38 (6) Subject to the supervision of the office of the lieutenant
39 governor, the council shall have the following duties:
p. 7 SHB 1692
 1 (a) Advising the legislature on proposed and pending legislation,
2 including state budget expenditures and policy matters relating to
3 youth;
4 (b) Advising the standing committees of the legislature and study
5 commissions, committees, and task forces regarding issues relating to
6 youth;
7 (c) Conducting periodic seminars for its members regarding
8 leadership, government, and the legislature;
9 (d) Accepting and soliciting for grants and donations from public
10 and private sources to support the activities of the council; ((and))
11 (e) In consultation with the student representative network
12 created in section 3 of t