Imagination library program

AN ACT Relating to transferring the imagination library program 1
from the department of children, youth, and families to the office of 2
the superintendent of public instruction; amending RCW 43.216.200; 3
adding a new section to chapter 28A.300 RCW; and recodifying RCW 4
43.216.200. 5
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:6
Sec. 1. RCW 43.216.200 and 2022 c 39 s 1 are each amended to 7
read as follows: 8
(1) The following definitions apply to this section:9
(a) "Eligible children" means children from birth to age five;10
(b) "National nonprofit foundation" means a national nonprofit 11
foundation that exists for the purpose of working with local entities 12
to identify eligible children and mail age-appropriate, high quality 13
books each month to those children at no cost to families; and14
(c) "Program" means the imagination library of Washington program 15
created under subsection (2) of this section. 16
(2) Subject to the amounts appropriated for this specific 17
purpose, the ((department, in coordination with the )) office of the 18
superintendent of public instruction ((,)) shall select a Washington 19
state-based qualified 501 (c)(3) nonprofit organization physically 20
Z-0555.1
SENATE BILL 5961
State of Washington 69th Legislature 2026 Regular Session
By Senators C. Wilson, Dhingra, Frame, Nobles, Shewmake, and Wellman;
by request of Superintendent of Public Instruction
Prefiled 01/05/26. Read first time 01/12/26. Referred to Committee
on Early Learning & K-12 Education.
p. 1 SB 5961
located in Washington state to create and operate the program. The 1
nonprofit organization selected under this subsection shall:2
(a) Manage the daily operations of the program;3
(b) Establish affiliate programs across the state;4
(c) Advance and strengthen the affiliate programs with the goal 5
of increasing enrollment in those programs; 6
(d) Develop, promote, and coordinate a public awareness campaign 7
to make donors aware of the opportunity to donate to affiliate 8
programs and make the public aware of the opportunity to register 9
eligible children to receive books through the program; and10
(e) Contract with a national nonprofit foundation to provide age-11
appropriate, high quality books each month to eligible children at no 12
cost to families. 13
(3)(a) By November 1, ((2022)) 2026, and annually thereafter, the 14
nonprofit organization selected to operate the program under 15
subsection (2) of this section shall submit a report to the relevant 16
committees of the legislature and the governor describing:17
(i) The number of affiliate programs established by the program;18
(ii) The number of children enrolled in each affiliate program; 19
and 20
(iii) The number of children statewide enrolled in the program.21
(b) The report in this subsection must be submitted in compliance 22
with RCW 43.01.036. 23
(4)(a) The nonprofit organization selected to operate the program 24
under subsection (2) of this section shall provide payment to the 25
national nonprofit foundation under subsection (2)(e) of this section 26
that equals 50 percent of the cost to provide books to eligible 27
children enrolled in the program. 28
(b) Each affiliate program shall provide payment to the program 29
under subsection (2) of this section that equals the remaining cost 30
to provide books to eligible children enrolled in the program.31
(c) Nothing in this section requires that state funding be 32
provided to the nonprofit organization selected under this subsection 33
or to the program except as provided in subsection (5) of this 34
section. 35
(5) The ((department)) office of the superintendent of public 36
instruction may seek and accept gifts, grants, or endowments from 37
public or private sources for the program and may spend any gifts, 38
grants, or endowments or income from public or private sources on the 39
program according to their terms. 40
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NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. RCW 43.216.200 is recodified as a section 1
in chapter 28A.300 RCW.2
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