(1)(a) For the purpose of providing relief to students impacted by the voluntary or involuntary closure of schools regulated under this chapter, the director shall establish, maintain, and administer a department of licensing tuition recovery trust fund created in RCW 18.16.320. The department of licensing tuition recovery trust fund shall be established no later than January 1, 2019. All funds collected for the department of licensing tuition recovery trust fund are payable to the state for the benefit and protection of any student or enrollee of a private school licensed under this chapter, for purposes including but not limited to the settlement of claims related to school closures.

(b) No liability accrues to the state from claims made against the department of licensing tuition recovery trust fund.

(2)(a) The director may impose a fee structure, set forth in rule, on schools licensed under this chapter to fund the department of licensing tuition recovery trust fund.

(b) The director must determine an amount that would be sufficient in the department of licensing tuition recovery trust fund to provide relief to students in the event of a school closure. The director shall adopt schedules of times and amounts for effecting payments of fees. To reach the amount determined, the director may phase in the collection of fees, but must achieve the amount determined to be sufficient no later than five years from June 7, 2018.

(3) Money from the department of licensing tuition recovery trust fund may be used for:

(a) Providing refunds to students affected by school closures;

(b) Securing and administering student records; and

(c) Any other response the director determines is necessary to mitigate impacts of a potential or actual school closure.

(4) In order for a school to be and remain licensed under this chapter, each school owner shall, in addition to other requirements under this chapter, make cash deposits on behalf of the school into the department of licensing tuition recovery trust fund.

(5) The department of licensing tuition recovery trust fund's liability with respect to each participating school commences on the date of the initial deposit into the department of licensing tuition recovery trust fund made on its behalf and ceases one year from the date the school is no longer licensed under this chapter.

(6) The director shall adopt by rule a matrix for calculating the deposits into the department of licensing tuition recovery trust fund on behalf of each school.

(7) No vested right or interest in deposited funds is created or implied for the depositor at any time during the operation of the department of licensing tuition recovery trust fund or at any such future time that the department of licensing tuition recovery trust fund may be dissolved. All funds deposited are payable to the state for the purposes described in this section. The director shall maintain the department of licensing tuition recovery trust fund, serve appropriate notices to affected owners when scheduled deposits are due, collect deposits, and make disbursements to settle claims against the department of licensing tuition recovery trust fund.

(8) The director shall adopt rules to address notifying potential claimants, settling claims, disbursing funds, and any other processes necessary to implement the purpose of this section.

Finding—Intent—2018 c 203: See note following RCW 28B.85.095.