Government Affairs

Attention Puget Sound ASHRAE Members:

Mark Wills, ASHRAE Manager – State and Local Government Activities, forwarded the following email regarding opportunities for STEM engagement coming up for discussion next week in Olympia.  Please click on the links for HB 2209 and SB 6041 below to read the bills in their entirety.  These 2 bills directly impact the upcoming workforce in our industry and you are encouraged to respond to your legislators.

Thank you,

Leslie Jonsson

Puget Sound ASHRAE Advocacy Chair
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Washington State chapter leaders-

I have been reviewing legislation introduced in the first few days of your state’s legislative session and two bills speaking to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education are coming up for committee discussion next week:

·         If enacted, HB 2209 (being heard in the House Education Committee at 1:30  p.m. on the 20^th) would add STEM-related curricula as mandatory for credits in alternative learning environments.

·         If enacted, SB 6041 (being heard in the Senate Early Learning and K-12 Education Committee at 8 a.m. on the 18^th) would allow elementary schools to serve as “lighthouse” schools as exemplars of best practices in the teaching of STEM subjects. In addition, the bill would establish a dedicated state account for these schools at all levels (it appears to me that, currently, the “lighthouse” program has no specified funding mechanism).

I don’t know if you have an interest in being engaged on this issue, which is a high-level advocacy priority for ASHRAE, but if you’d like to to learn more about ASHRAE’s position on STEM-related issues or wish to become involved in more direct advocacy on either (or both) of these bills, please let me know at your earliest convenience.

Thanks in advance for your attention.

Regards,

Mark Wills, Manager - State and Local Government Affairs

American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers, Inc.
1828 L Street N.W Suite #810 Washington, DC 20036
Direct Line: 202-833-1830 ext 2003     

Fax: 202-833-0118    

eMail: MWills@ashrae.org     

Web: www.ASHRAE.org