Bill supporting youth development passes Senate

OLYMPIA – Sen. Mark Schoesler’s bill reimbursing fees for rural youth development programs has passed the Senate.

Senate Bill 5643, introduced Schoesler, R-Ritzville, and sponsored by six other senators, unanimously passed in the Senate, 49-0, on Feb. 15.

If signed into law by Gov. Jay Inslee, the bill would reimburse all or a part of enrollment fees for youth-development programs in agricultural education, such as 4-H and FFA.

The bill is intended to help sustain 4-H and other youth-development programs in state by subsidizing membership fees, Schoesler said. Participation in 4-H programs has been steadily declining in recent years.

The bill moves to the House of Representatives, where it was expected to have a public hearing in the House Committee on Rural Development, Agriculture and Natural Resources on Feb. 22.