What is the Cultural Access Fund?

Two bills currently moving through the House and Senate could culminate in multiple cultural access fund districts across Washington.  These districts would be up to the voters in the affected area and would create funding through an additional sales tax or property tax.  The district area could be determined by a single county, group of adjacent counties, or a city in in a county that has decided not create a county-specific or group cultural access district.  The bills currently in each house of the legislature are identical, but can be amended as they move from committee to committee. Check to see in the opening paragraph of each bill below to see if your district senators and representatives have signed on to the bill.  If not, contact them to ask them  to add their name in support of arts and heritage education in your district. The House version is HB 1107. The Senate version is SB 5463. Cultural Access Washington (CAWA) is the organization that created the bills and has asked for WaMA’s support.  Here is their summary of the bill, CAWA_Bill_Summary Final. WaMA’s Board has added their support for the Cultural Access Fund legislation.  Read President Joseph Govednik’s introduction to CAWA’s Call to Action in WaMA Call to Action_