Yesterday the House and Senate were busy as sine die looms in two weeks.

Senate

In the late afternoon the Senate passed a proposed operating budget off the floor with a vote of 41-8.
Following the vote on the floor, the Senate Higher Education Committee convened for the last time this session. The Committee advanced several gubernatorial appointments to the Senate for confirmation. Held a public hearing on a handful of bills and moved several more bills forward for further consideration.

Among the bills heard by the Committee was legislation requiring higher education institutions to adopt a policy to award academic credit to individuals for certain military training courses and programs as well as share this information with students (HB 1858). Evergreen signed-in to support the bill.

The Committee took action on several additional bills which now advance in the process. Among those bills passed by the Committee:

• HB 2546 – Cleans up outdated statutes pertaining to general obligation bonds that were issued for higher education capital projects and that have matured and provides expiration dates and clarifications for certain higher education provisions and programs. Referred to Rules Committee.
• HB 2694 –  Creates an informational program to increase applications from high-achieving low-income students to selective institutions of higher education. Referred to Ways & Means Committee.
• HB 2613 – Changes to business practices resulting in greater efficiency and effectiveness for Washington’s public baccalaureate institutions. It is worth noting that the bill was amended to allow the Washington Higher Education Facilities Authority to increase the allowable bonded indebtedness of the authority from $1 billion to $1.5 billion.
  Referred to Ways & Means Committee.
• HB 2626 – Acknowledges the recommendations in the higher education ten-year Roadmap, the Legislature is encouraged by WSAC’s efforts to meet the following two educational attainment goals in order to meet the societal and economic needs of the future: (1) All adults in Washington ages 25 to 44 will have a high school diploma or equivalent by 2023; and (2) At least 70 percent of Washington adults ages 25 to 44 will have a postsecondary credential by 2023. Referred to Rules Committee.

House

The House Appropriations Subcommittee on Education advanced several bills forward in the process. Among those bills passed by the Committee:

• SB 5969 – Requires each public higher education institution to adopt a policy to award academic credit for military training courses or programs and to provide a copy of the policy to enrolled students who have listed prior or present military service in their application.
• SB 6436 – Creates a College Bound Scholarship Work Group consisting of legislators and stakeholders to make recommendations for making the program viable. The Work Group must submit their report to the Governor and the Legislature by December 31 2014.