Z-0762.1                   _______________________________________________

                                                     SENATE BILL 5695

                              _______________________________________________

State of Washington                              53rd Legislature                             1993 Regular Session

By Senators Bauer, Gaspard, Sellar, Pelz, Drew, Prince and M. Rasmussen; by request of State Board for Community and Technical Colleges

Read first time 02/10/93.  Referred to Committee on Higher Education.

Changing provisions relating to GED tests.

          AN ACT Relating to the certificate of educational competence; amending RCW 28A.305.190 and 28A.205.030; and adding a new section to chapter 28B.50 RCW.

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

        Sec. 1.  RCW 28A.305.190 and 1991 c 116 s 5 are each amended to read as follows:

          The state board of education shall adopt rules ((and regulations)) governing the ((conditions by and under which a certificate of educational competence may be issued to a person nineteen years of age or older, or to)) eligibility of a child ((fifteen)) sixteen years of age and under nineteen years of age to take the general educational development test if the child provides a substantial and warranted reason for leaving the regular high school education program, or if the child was home-schooled.

        Sec. 2.  RCW 28A.205.030 and 1990 c 33 s 182 are each amended to read as follows:

          The superintendent of public instruction shall adopt, by rules, policies and procedures to permit a prior common school dropout to reenter at the grade level appropriate to such individual's ability:  PROVIDED, That such individual shall be placed with the class he or she would be in had he or she not dropped out and graduate with that class, if the student's ability so permits notwithstanding any loss of credits prior to reentry and if such student earns credits at the normal rate subsequent to reentry.

          Notwithstanding any other provision of law, any certified educational clinic student sixteen years of age or older, upon completion of an individual student program ((and irrespective of age)), shall be eligible to take the general educational development test as given throughout the state.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 3.  A new section is added to chapter 28B.50 RCW to read as follows:

          Subject to rules adopted by the state board of education under RCW 28A.305.190, the state board for community and technical colleges shall adopt rules governing the eligibility of persons sixteen years of age and older to take the general educational development test, rules governing the administration of the test, and rules governing the issuance of a certificate of educational competence to persons who successfully complete the test.  Certificates of educational competence issued under this section shall be issued in such form and substance as agreed upon by the state board for community and technical colleges and superintendent of public instruction.

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