This afternoon the Senate Ways and Means Committee advanced an efficiency bill authored by the public baccalaureates and community and technical colleges.
The bill – HB 2613 – changes business practices resulting in greater efficiency and effectiveness for Washington’s public baccalaureate institutions. Among the changes proposed is permissive authority to prorate paychecks for faculty on nine-month appointments, to change payroll frequency from semi-monthly to biweekly and changes to existing reporting requirements.
The bill now advances to the Senate floor for further consideration.
On Friday the House and Senate took steps to advance budgets and move closer to meeting the sine die deadline in two week.
Senate
In the afternoon the Senate passed a proposed capital budget from the floor to the House with a vote of 31-18. Fourteen amendment were drawn up for consideration, several were withdrawn or pulled. None of the proposed amendments would have made changes to higher education.
With regard to higher education the Senate provided funding for a small number of projects across higher education. This includes authority for Evergreen to enter into a certificate of participation to purchase the existing facility in Tacoma for the College’s Tacoma program; $2 million to remove, clean and dispose of two underground diesel oil tanks at Central Washington University; and $50,000 to conduct a budget evaluation study of the Carver academic building renovation with OFM and Western Washington University.
The budget also include a budget shift which moves funds from General Obligation Bonds to institutional Capital Projects Account Fund. The impact for Evergreen is a budget shift of $855,000.
The capital budget now advances to the House for consideration.
House Appropriations
The House Appropriations Committee spent the afternoon finalizing a proposed operating budget. Over sixty amendments were offered between to the budget.
Four amendments related to higher education were proposed. The budget was amended to reflect one amendment:
The budget now moves to the House floor for further consideration.
This morning the House Capital Budget advanced the higher education efficiencies bill to the floor.
The bill changes to business practices resulting in greater efficiency and effectiveness for Washington’s public baccalaureate institutions. In particular to capital construction SB 6362 would increase the predesign project limit for capital projects from $5 million to $10 million.
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:
House
The House Appropriations Subcommittee on Education advanced several bills forward in the process. Among those bills passed by the Committee:
This morning the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Education held a public hearing on a handful of Senate bills.
The committee heard legislation that requires higher education institutions to adopt a policy to award academic credit for military training courses/programs and provide the policy to enrolled students who have listed prior or present military service in their application (SB 5969).
In addition the Committee heard legislation that creates a College Bound Scholarship work group of legislators and higher education stakeholders to submit a report to the Governor and Legislature about recommendations for making the program viable, including recommendations for making the program viable, including but not limited to funding (SB 6436).
Evergreen signed-in to support both bills.
This morning the House proposed Capital Budget was advanced from Committee to the Floor.
The House Capital Budget provides funding for a small number of projects across higher education. This includes authority for Evergreen to enter into a certificate of participation to purchase the existing facility in Tacoma for the College’s Tacoma program; $2 million to remove, clean and dispose of two underground diesel oil tanks at Central Washington University; and $5 to renovate the Carver Academic Center at Western Washington University.
Working late into the night the Senate Ways & Means Committee moved a proposed operating and capital budget to the Senate floor. Over sixty amendments were offered between the two budgets.
Ten amendments related to higher education were proposed. The following were amended to the budget:
The budgets now move to the Senate floor for consideration.
This morning began early with the House’s proposed Capital Budget scheduled for a public hearing.
Evergreen, along with other higher education stakeholders, testified to the impact of the supplemental budget on institutions and students.
Evergreen thanked the Legislature for providing the College with the authority to enter into a certificate of participation, through the Office of the State Treasurer, to purchase the building the College currently leases for Evergreen’s Tacoma program. Evergreen noted that the certificate of participation would allow the College to establish a permanent site for the program, which has been in existence for over 30 years, by redirecting the current lease rate toward the purchase of a permanent location for the program. The impact of this action would be to create equity in an owned existing building and provide Evergreen and its students with certainty with regard to the future of the program, benefiting not only the College but the State.
The House Capital Budget provided funding for a small number of projects across higher education. This includes authority for Evergreen to enter into a certificate of participation to purchase the existing facility in Tacoma for the College’s Tacoma program; $2 million to remove, clean and dispose of two underground diesel oil tanks at Central Washington University; and $5 to renovate the Carver Academic Center at Western Washington University.
This afternoon Governor Inslee, surrounded by students, legislators, and supporters signed into law the Real Hope Act.
The bill allows students to be eligible for the State Need Grant program if they met the following criteria:
Or