Bills of Significant Interest to the UW Last Updated February 16, 2007

SB 5501/ HB 1641 – Implementing Learns recommendations (Note: SB 5806, SB 5855, HB 1881 and HB 1882 contain the higher education portions of the two omnibus WA Learns recommendation measures) Sponsor: Sen. Rosemary McAuliffe (D-Bothell); Rep. Joe McDermott (D-) Status: Public hearing on SB 5501 January 29 before Senate Early Learning and K-12 Committee and Senate Higher Education Committee; Work session on HB 1641 January 31 before House Appropriations Subcommittee on Education, House Education and Early Learning and Children’s Services Committee and House Higher Education Committee Summary: Implements the recommendations of the Governor’s Washington Learns Initiative UW Position: Support

SB 5384/HB 1398 – Expanding UW and WSU local borrowing authority Sponsor(s): Sen. Karen Fraser (D-Olympia); Rep. Bill Fromhold (D-Vancouver) Status: Passed Senate Ways and Means Committee Feb. 7 and sent to Rules. Passed House Capital Budget Committee February 6 as a substitute bill and placed on the second reading calendar. Summary: Authorizes UW and WSU to issue bonds or other forms of debt for any university purpose to be paid by locally controlled fees and revenues. UW Position: Support.

SB 5322 – New institutions of higher education in Snohomish-Island-Skagit counties Sponsor: Sen. Jean Berkey (D-Everett) Status: Passed Senate Higher Education Committee February 5. Referred to Senate Ways & Means Committee Summary: Requires OFM to identify sites and programs for a new independent four-year higher education institution in the Snohomish-Island-Skagit county region. UW Position: Neutral

SB 5155/HB 1131 – Creating the Passport to College Promise Program Sponsor(s): Sen. Derek Kilmer (D-Gig Harbor); Rep. Hans Dunshee (D-Snohomish) Status: Public hearing on HB 1131 in House Appropriations Committee February 5. SB 5155 passed Senate Higher Education Committee as a substitute bill on February 5; public hearing in Senate Ways & Means Committee on Feb. 22. Summary: Creates the passport to college promise program to help foster care children prepare for and attend higher education. UW Position: Support with language changes to be offered by the Council of Presidents.

SB 5514/HB 1875 – Providing for faculty opportunities at institutions of higher education Sponsor: Sen. Jeanne Kohl-Welles (D-Seattle); Rep. Phyllis Kenney (D-Seattle) Status: Public hearing on SB 5514 scheduled for Senate Higher Education Committee February 12. Public hearing on HB 1875 scheduled for February 14 in House Higher Education Committee. Summary: Sets goals for higher education faculty salaries and prescribes ratios of full-time and part-time faculty positions. UW Position: Oppose unless four year institutions are removed from legislation.

1 HB 1506/SB 5489 – Changing alternative public works provisions Sponsor: Rep. Kathy Haigh (D-Shelton); Sen. Phil Rockefeller (D-Kitsap County) Status: HB 1506 passed House State Government and Tribal Affairs Committee February 6 as a substitute bill; public hearing in House Capital Budget Committee on Feb. 20. Public Hearing on SB 5489 in Senate Government Operations and Elections Committee Feb. 12. Summary: Reauthorizes statutes related to the general contractor construction management program. UW Position: Support.

HB 2072 – Increasing access to higher education Sponsor: Rep. Deb Wallace (D-Vancouver) Status: Public hearing in House Higher Education Committee February 12; executive action on Feb. 22. Summary: Implements some WA Learns higher education recommendations, requires means-testing of state need grants and requires certain HECB studies. UW Position: Support.

SSB 5002/HB 1454 – Changing tuition waivers for families of fallen veterans and National Guard Sponsor: Sen. Mike Hewitt (R-Walla Walla) and Rep. Larry Haler (R-Richland) Status: SB 5002 passed the Senate February 2 as a substitute bill. Referred to the House Higher Education Committee. Public hearing on HB 1454 in House Higher Education Committee on January 29. Summary: Requires higher education institutions to waive all tuition and fees for the children and spouses of eligible veterans or National Guard members killed, permanently disabled or missing in action or prisoners of war. UW Position: Concerns about future costs and “mandated” statutory waiver.

SSB 5101 – Tuition waivers for teachers Sponsor: Sen. Steve Hobbs (D-Lake Stevens) Status: Passed Senate Higher Education Committee January 24 as a substitute and referred to Senate Rules Committee. Summary: Adds teachers seeking continuing education units to the list of permissive higher education waivers. UW Position: Support.

HB 1385 – Strategic direction for higher education Sponsor: Rep. Fred Jarrett (R-Mercer Island) Status: Public hearing in House Higher Education Committee on February 15. Summary: Articulates a broad strategic outline for the future direction of higher education in Washington State. UW Position: Under review.

HB 1399/SB 5622 – Changing collective bargaining eligibility requirements for certain employees of higher education institutions and related boards. Sponsor: Rep. Steve Conway (D-Tacoma); Sen. Jeanne Kohl-Welles (D-Seattle) Status: Public hearing on SB 5622 in Senate Labor, Commerce and Research Committee February 6. Public hearing on HB 1399 in House Commerce and Labor Committee on February 6. Summary: Expands the number of higher education employees eligible to be represented by a public employee union. UW Position: Working on compromise language with Council of Presidents.

SB 5442 – Providing tuition waivers for eligible veteran or National Guard medal recipients Sponsor: Sen. Steve Hobbs (D-Lake Stevens) Status: Public Hearing in Senate Higher Education Committee on Feb 21. Summary: Establishes mandatory tuition waivers for eligible medal recipients, children and spouses of eligible veterans killed or permanently disabled while on active duty. UW Position: Concerns about future costs and institutional flexibility. 2 SB 5013 – Limits on tuition increases Sponsor: Sen. (R-Ritzville) Status: Public hearing in Senate Higher Education Committee on February 5. Summary: Limits annual tuition increases to inflation or no more than 50% of the student’s share of the cost of instruction. UW Position: Concerns about lack of language to increase per student funding relative to global challenge state peer institutions.

HB 1110 – Washington Institute of Technology Sponsor: Rep. Jeff Morris (D-Anacortes) Status: Referred to House Higher Education Committee Summary: Establishes the Washington Institute of Technology by combining the campuses of the UW Bothell; WSU Tri-Cities and WSU Vancouver UW Position: Opposed

HB 1394 – Requiring a plan to encourage medical students to work with patients with developmental disabilities. Sponsor: Rep. Brendan Williams (D-Olympia) Status: Public hearing in House Higher Education Committee on February 12 Summary: Directs the UW Medical School to develop a plan to train students to work with patients with developmental disabilities. UW Position: Compromise language developed.

SB 5289/HB 2196 – Increasing state contracts with veteran-owned businesses Sponsor: Sen. Derek Kilmer (D-Gig Harbor); Rep. Roger Goodman (D-Kirkland) Status: Public hearing on SB 5289 in Senate Government Operations and Elections Committee Feb. 12. HB 2196 referred to House State Government and Tribal Affairs Committee. Summary: Establishes preferences for state contracting with veteran-owned businesses UW Position: Support with amendment to exempt leasing and renting real estate

SB 5555/HB 1779 – GET math and science scholarships Sponsor: Sen. Paul Shin (D-Edmonds) Rep. Deb Wallace (D-Vancouver) Status: Passed Senate Higher Education Committee February 8 as a substitute bill; public hearing in Ways & Means on Feb. 22. Public hearing in House Higher Education Committee on February 5; passed out of committee as a substitute bill on Feb. 15. Summary: Establishes a get ready for math and science college scholarship program. UW Position: Support with some changes to the bill to clarify and streamline administration of the program.

SB 5782/HB 1856 – Child care grants for students at institutions of higher education Sponsor: Sen. Rosemary McAuliffe (D-Bothell); Rep. Mary Helen Roberts (D-Edmonds) Status: Public hearing on SB 5782 on February 15. Public hearing in House Higher Education Committee Feb. 22. Summary: Establishes a matching grant program to provide child care for higher education students UW Position: Support

SB 5784/HB 1531 – Exempting college materials from sales and use tax Sponsor: Sen. Paull Shin (D-Edmonds); Rep. Judy Warnick (R-Moses Lake) Status: Public hearing on SB 5784 on February 14 in Senate Higher Education Committee. Public hearing on HB 1531 in House Higher Education Committee February 5 Summary: Exempts required college instructional materials from the sales and use tax UW Position: Neutral 3 HB 2164 – Prohibits multiple unit housing on higher education campuses without prior authorization Sponsor: Rep. Hans Dunshee (D-Snohomish) Status: Public hearing in House Finance Committee scheduled for February 21. Summary: Requires approval from state institutions of higher education to locate new or rehabilitated multiple-unit housing within the boundaries of a campus facilities master plan for property tax exemption purposes. UW Position: Support.

HB 1784/SB 5766 – Eliminating limitations on the investment of certain state moneys Sponsor: Rep. Phyllis Kenney (D-Seattle); Sen. Karen Fraser (D-Olympia) Status: Public hearing in House Capital on Feb 8; scheduled for executive action on Feb. 22. Summary: The measure (and a corresponding constitutional amendment) would permit the State Investment Board to invest the proceeds of higher education permanent trusts in stock investments. UW Position: Support.

HB 1913/SB 5772 – Certifying employee organizations for collective bargaining Sponsor: Rep. Steve Conway (D-Tacoma); Sen. Jeanne Kohl-Welles (D-Seattle) Status: Public hearing in House Commerce & Labor on Feb. 13. Public hearing in Senate Labor & Commerce Feb 20. Summary: Modifies laws pertaining to cross checks of applications for certification of organizations as exclusive collective bargaining representatives and changes procedures for certification of such organizations. UW Position: Oppose

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