The Legislature wasted no time engaging in public hearings and work sessions on bills from the opposite chamber.

Yesterday marked the passage of another major deadline for the legislative session. All bills must have moved from their chamber of origin to the opposite chamber. Bills deemed necessary to implement the budget are omitted from this deadline.

One day after this deadline, committees in both chambers were back at work holding public hearings and work sessions to continue to move bills through the process.

The Senate Higher Education Committee held a public hearing on referred House bills. Among the legislation the committee heard today was a bill (SHB 1822) to establish the first online university in Washington with the Western Governors University.  

The bill came to the Senate after passing the House 70-26. The Council of Presidents (COP) testified with concerns regarding the potential impact on state financial aid programs.

COP suggested language be amended to SHB 1822 that would require the Higher Education Coordinating Board to obtain the approval of the Legislature before allowing students at Western Governors University-Washington to utilize state need grant dollars. Similar language was amended to the Senate version of the bill (SB 5136) in the Ways & Means Committee.  Senate Bill 5136 did not pass the Senate by the March 7 deadline.

The Committee also held public hearings on a range of other bills including legislation that would create consistency in student financial aid programs and add a student representative to community and technical college boards.