WSU Bill Status

Bill Status As Of - March 29, 2001
Tracked by Washington State University Government Relations

Bill No.

Title
Status
Date
Sponsor

Comments
Recommended
Position

HB 1007
f#
Taxation of electricity
H Technology,
01-08-01
Morris
-- Changes the method of taxing electricity businesses from taxing gross receipts and property owned by the electricity business to taxing the amount (kilowatt hour) of electricity transmitted.
-- Distributes tax revenue in a manner that replicates current distribution to recipients (tax rate to be determined.)
-- Repeals the public utility district privilege tax and exempts electricity businesses from the public utility tax, municipal business taxes and property taxes. -- City of Pullman strongly opposes.

HB 1073
f
Technology fees/higher ed
H Higher Educ
01-15-01
Benson
-- The public community and technical colleges are included in the statute allowing governing boards, with written agreement of the student governance, to establish a student technology fee.
-- Following one year of collection and expenditure of the technology fee, institutions are eligible for a state match on a dollar-for-dollar basis to a maximum of $450,000 per year, per campus.
-- Of any state match, 3.5 percent must be deposited in the institution`s local financial aid fund.

HB 1155
Alternative pblc wrks cntrct
H State Govt
01-18-01
Schmidt, D.
-- Makes revisions to alternative public works contracting procedures.
-- Extends the authority to use alternative public works procedures for six years until July 1, 2007.
-- Expands the agencies and local governments authorized to use the alternative public works procedures. Provides details for the owner and general contractor/construction manager to determine subcontractor bidder eligibility
-- Authority to use the alternative public works contracting procedures is expanded to the of the remaining four-year institutions of higher education (Central Washington University, Eastern Washington University, Western Washington University, and The Evergreen State College)
Pro

HB 1177
f
Unemployment compensation
H Approp
02-27-01
Kenney
-- Ensuring that reasonable assurance continues to apply to employees of educational institutions.
-- Modifies the definition of "reasonable assurance" for faculty members who work at community or technical colleges and who have offers of employment in the next academic year or term conditioned on enrollment, funding, or program changes.

HB 1184
fd
Unemployment compensation
H Rules R
02-27-01
Conway
-- Prohibits educational employees from receiving unemployment benefits between academic terms or during vacations, when they have reasonable assurance of employment in the same capacity at any educational institution in the next year or following the vacation.
-- Makes the state unemployment insurance system conform with the Federal Unemployment Tax Act.

HB 1236
College textbooks/tx exmptn
H Higher Educ
01-22-01
Keiser
-- Allows students to request a reimbursement from the Department of Revenue on the retail sales taxes paid for college textbooks, under certain conditions.
-- Proposed amendment would exempt textbooks from sales tax (WSU prefers amendment)
-- An exemption from the retail sales tax is added for college textbooks. A person requesting a remittance must pay the tax and then apply to the Department of Revenue for a remittal.
-- The bill takes effect on October 1, 2001. Neutral

HB 1315
e
Operating budget
H Approp
01-23-01
Sommers, H.
-- Governor`s Operating Budget

HB 1345
f#
Personal service contracting
H Approp
02-21-01
Dickerson
-- Requires the Office of Financial Management to develop mandatory guidelines for the effective and efficient management of personal service and client service contracts by state agencies.
-- Requires the Office of Financial Management to provide training for state agency personnel entering into and managing, personal service and client service contracts.
-- Requires the Office of Financial Management to conduct risk-based audits of the contracting practices associated with individual personal service and client service contracts.
-- Requires the attorney general and the State Auditor to provide an annual report on contract audit and investigative findings.
-- The bill contains several effective dates. Section 1 contains an emergency clause and takes effect immediately. Sections 2 and 3 take effect January 1, Sections 4 and 5 take effect 90 days after the session. Con

HB 1359
$e
Capital budget
H Cap Budget
01-24-01
Alexander
-- Governor`s Capital Budget

SHB 1381
f
Higher ed/student id
S Rules 2
03-27-01
HIE
(Mulliken)
-- Requiring institutions of higher education to use personal identifiers that are not social security numbers.
Pro

HB 1409
Smoking/residnce halls
H Higher Educ
01-25-01
Quall
-- Prohibits smoking in publicly owned residence halls at public institutions of higher education.
-- Bill a result of a WSU parent complaint.
Neutral

HB 1464
Collective bargaining/U.W.
H Commerce/Lab
01-26-01
Clements
-- University of Washington TA/RA collective bargaining bill.
-- Authorizes collective bargaining for University of Washington employees who are enrolled in academic programs.

HB 1466
fe
Promise scholarship program
H Approp
02-13-01
Fromhold
-- Establishes a statute for the merit and need-based scholarship program administered by the Higher Education Coordinating Board. Scholarships have been awarded since 1999.
-- Eligible students may receive up to two years of tuition at the community college full-time tuition rate.
-- Scholarships are awarded to students graduating from public and approved private high schools and students participating in home-based instruction who meet academic and financial eligibility criteria.

SHB 1515
Public works/higher edu
S Rules 2
03-27-01
SG
(Armstrong)
-- Regional and state universities and the Evergreen State College are required to use a public bid process for public works projects over $35,000. The college and universities are also required to use a public bid process for public works projects that involve only one trade or craft that exceed $15,000.
-- Raises the triggering amount that requires a public bid process from $25,000 to $35,000.
-- Raises the triggering amount that requires a public bid process for projects involving only one trade from $10,000 to $15,000.
-- Original bill would have raised it to $50,000.
Pro

SHB 1517
f#
State agncy quality imprvmnt
*S Ways & Means
03-29-01
SG (Miloscia)
-- Requires every state executive agency to develop and implement a quality management program to improve the quality, efficiency, and effectiveness of the public services it provides using business process redesign, employee involvement, and other quality management techniques.

HB 1520
$f
Family Leave insurance
H Commerce/Lab
01-29-01
Dickerson
-- Establishes the family leave insurance program.
-- Provides for payment of benefits of $250 per week for up to five weeks to employees on unpaid family leave.
-- Provides for assessment of premiums of 2 cents per hour worked per employee to be paid equally by employers and employees

HB 1623
Investing surplus funds
*S Rules 2
03-23-01
Kenney
-- The public four-year institutions of higher education are added to the list of organizations eligible to invest surplus funds and utilize the resources of the State Treasurer`s office for this purpose. A definition for "financial officer" is added.
Pro

HB 1707
Background checks/higher edu
H Higher Educ
02-01-01
Hurst
-- Requires fingerprint based criminal history checks for conviction records on new employees of institutions of higher education who will have unsupervised contact with minors.
-- Would affect those workers involved with Running Start
SHB 1743
fe
Higher education tuition
H Approp
02-27-01
HIE (Kenney)

-- Limited tuition setting authority and flexibility is granted to the governing boards of each institution of higher education and to the state board for community and technical colleges.
-- Tuition may increase or decrease. Tuition may not be increased beyond the per capita personal income based on a three-year rolling average (4.9 percent and 3.9 percent, respectively, for academic years 2001-2002 and 2002-2003).
-- State general fund support will increase at the same percentage of increase as the per capita personal income based on a three-year rolling average. State funding of the state need grant will increase proportionately with tuition.
-- The governing boards and the state board may assess a surcharge, in addition to a tuition increase, for the 2001-2003 biennium only. Surcharges may be up to 2 percent each year, but will not be added into the tuition base. Institutions assessing a surcharge must cover increases in state need grants resulting from the surcharge.
-- Tuition increases and/or surcharges may vary by time- of-day, day-of-week, delivery method and campus, and student category.
-- WSU supports amending the bill to make the surcharge permanent and three technical amendments on S & A Fees Tuition refund and the engineering consortium in Spokane
Pro

HB 1755
$
College awareness project
H Higher Educ
02-02-01
Kenney
-- Establishes the College Awareness Project to encourage under served and under represented populations of this state to seek a higher education.
-- WSU component: New initiatives to improve the campus climate will begin. A diversity course requirement will be added. A summer program to orient students to college life will be established. Additional opportunities will be available for high school students to visit the campuses. The number of community liaisons and tribal contacts will be increased. Programs that promote college awareness and teach skills necessary for academic success will be established.
Pro

HB 1789
Nonprofit org/property tax
H Finance
02-05-01
Fromhold
-- Property owned by foundations of institutions of higher education is exempt from property taxation. Additionally, land classified under the open space program hat is transferred to a foundation of an institution of higher education is exempt from back taxes and other provisions outlined in current law. Pro

HB 1808
Agncy contrct accountability
H State Govt
02-05-01
Miloscia
-- Requires the director of financial management to devise a modern and complete system for achieving accountability for the use of public funds in all contracts made by any state agency. The director shall consult with stakeholder groups when devising the system.
-- Provides that the system shall address, but not be limited to, contractor selection; contract provisions, including performance measures that may be required under RCW 43.88.090; contract management; contract monitoring; auditing and post evaluation; timely resolution of monitoring and audit findings and recommendations; and financial accountability expectations.

HB 1820
Ethics in public service
S Rules 2
03-27-01
Van Luven
-- Clarifying that certain technology transactions by institutions of higher education are exempt from state ethics requirements.
-- The law is clarified that sponsored research and technology transfer licensing agreements are controlled by RCW 42.52.030. A written administrative process relating to potential conflicts of interest must conform with certain federal requirements and be in place regarding technology transfer agreements and federally sponsored research.
Pro

HB 1833
Higher education tuition
H Higher Educ
02-06-01
Chandler, G.
-- Provides that the governing boards of the state universities, regional universities, and The Evergreen State College may not set or adjust tuition fees for full- time students, except during the summer term.
Con

HB 1847
d
Trust lands/sale of material
H Natural Res
02-06-01
Pennington
-- Streamlining the process of selling valuable materials from state lands.

SHB 1848
Earned income training crdts
H Approp
02-27-01
HIE
(McIntire)
-- Creates a two-year pilot program providing qualified families with an earned income training credit of 50 percent of the federal earned income tax credit that may be applied to tuition at a public baccalaureate institution of higher education, accredited private post- secondary schools, community or technical college, private career school or on-the-job training expense incurred by an employer.
-- An earned income training credit pilot program is created and will be administered by the Higher Education Coordinating Board (HECB) with the assistance of the State Board for Community and Technical Colleges (SBCTC).

HB 1910
f
Physical therapy
H Rules R
03-08-01
Kenney
-- Authorizes the Board of Trustees of Eastern Washington University to offer a doctorate level degree in physical therapy subject to review and approval by the Higher Education Coordinating Board.

SHB 1938
Sabotage
H Rules R
03-14-01
CJC (Pearson)
-- Expands the "criminal sabotage" statute to include fur farms, university and private research facilities, biotechnology laboratories, and commercial and private animal production facilities.
-- Categorizes "criminal sabotage" as a seriousness level X on the sentencing guidelines grid.
-- Expands the authorization of treble damages.
Pro

HB 2006
Student fees
H Higher Educ
02-12-01
Gombosky
-- This bill amends current statute to require that any action that imposes mandatory, but refundable fees, or authorizes expenditures of services and activities fees must be reviewed by the governing boards within 90 days if the action is approved by a vote of two-thirds of the student body. If the governing board fails to act or complete a review within 90 days, the action is in dispute and subject to resolution by the dispute resolution committee. Also, if the board does not approve an action, the action goes through the dispute process. The decision of the dispute resolution committee is binding.
-- The bill also amends the 14-day requirement for the dispute resolution process in cases of an intervening summer session, in which case the 14-day requirement would commence on the first day of the fall session.
Con

HB2044
PERS/plan 2 early retirement
H Approp
02-13-01
Cooper
-- Retiring early in the public employees` retirement system, plan 2.

HB2134
State capital asset transfer
H Cap Budget
02-16-01
Hurst
-- The Board of Regents of Washington State University (WSU) must transfer ownership and control of the agricultural property at the Rainier School to the City of Buckley; there is no requirement of compensation to the Charitable, Education, Penal, and Reformatory Institution Account. The livestock, vehicles, and other assets of the dairy/forage facility that had been on the property belong to WSU and are to be moved or disposed of by WSU. WSU retains the records of the dairy/forage facility.
Con

SSB 5033
Personnel file inspection
S Rules 2
03-21-01
LCF (Fairley)
-- Employees of personal services agencies are, for purposes of employee records, also considered employees of the firms they are placed with. Employees are entitled to inspect and copy, subject to a reasonable copying charge, their own personnel files. Such files must be retained by the employer for at least three years after the employee stops working for the employer. Violators are subject to a civil penalty imposed by the Director of the Department of Labor and Industries of $5,000 or more per day, depending on the employer`s history of violations. An employee may also recover, via civil action, damages of $5,000 for a violation.

E SSB5060
Alternative pblc wrks cntrct
H State Govt
03-15-01
SLG
(Winsley)
-- Authority to use the alternative public works contracting procedures is extended for six years until July 1, 2007.
-- The alternative procedures may be used for public works projects valued over $12 million, or on and after January 1, 2010, valued at $16 million.
-- The temporary independent oversight committee is renamed as the public works procurement committee.
Pro

SB 5159
f
Investing surplus funds
H Rules R
03-27-01
Winsley
-- Authorizing four-year public institutions of higher education to participate with the state in investing surplus funds.
-- The public four-year institutions of higher education are added to the list of organizations eligible to invest surplus funds and utilize the resources of the State Treasurer`s office for this purpose. A definition for "financial officer" is added.
Pro

SB 5168
Technology fees/higher ed
S Higher Educ
01-12-01
Shin
-- The community colleges and technical colleges are included in the statute allowing governing boards, with the written consent of the student government association, to establish a student technology fee.
-- Following one year of collection and expenditure of the technology fee, institutions are eligible for a state match on a dollar-for-dollar basis to a maximum of $450, 000.
-- Of any state match, 3.5 percent must be deposited in the institution`s local financial aid fund.

2SSB 5201
TANF/higher education
S Rules 2
03-21-01
WM (Kohl- Welles)
-- Creating the higher education for lifelong progress program.
-- Second Substitute Bill Compared to Substitute Bill: HELP participation is subject to available funds and slots as defined in the Omnibus Appropriations Act.
-- Substitute Bill Compared to Original Bill: Education in a high-demand field is emphasized. Each educational institution defines "satisfactory progress."

E SSB5264
Pblc emplys/unfair practices
H Commerce/Lab
03-15-01
WM
(Prentice)
-- The Legislature declares that public employers should be prohibited from misclassifying employees, or taking other action to avoid providing employment- related benefits to which employees are entitled under state law or employer policies. The statement of intent also states that the Legislature does not intend to modify or mandate in any way the provision of employment-related benefits by public employers, but instead intends that whatever eligibility rules public employers have should be applied on an objective basis. There is no intent to affect contracting with public employee retirees or employing students as part of their education or financial aid.
Con

SB 5316
fd
Unemployment compensation
H Rules R
03-22-01
Prentice
-- Modifies the definition of "reasonable assurance" for faculty members who work at community or technical colleges and who have offers of employment in the next academic year or term conditioned on enrollment, funding, or program changes.

SB 5345
$e
Operating budget
S Ways & Means
01-19-01
Brown
-- Governor`s Operating Budget

SB 5347
$e
Capital budget
S Ways & Means
01-19-01
Brown
-- Governor`s Capital Budget

2SSB 5384
Higher education/labor
S Rules 2 G
03-10-01
WM
(Prentice)
-- Second Substitute Bill Compared to Substitute Bill: Limits are placed on collective bargaining agreements with respect to compensation actions. Salary increases negotiated for faculty in the bargaining unit are subject to legislative appropriation and modification as provided in current state law. Parties may not bargain over state paid health insurance. Agreements may include salary increases supported by local efficiency savings, even when the resulting improvements put faculty compensation beyond an amount or percentage authorized in the state`s operating budget. However, these locally financed salary improvements must not be included in the base subsequently provided by the university to the Governor and Legislature for use when the state considers future salary adjustments for university employees.
-- Substitute Bill Compared to Original Bill: The substitute changes the definition of shared governance, specifies that tuition is not subject to collective bargaining, and removes references to boards of regents.
-- The bill takes effect on October 1, 2001.
-- Exempt WSU and U Of W

SSB 5404
Promise scholarship program
S Ways & Means
02-28-01
HIE (Kohl- Welles)
-- Students who receive the promise scholarship must be in the top 10 percent of their graduating class, achieve on their first attempt at least a cumulative score of 1200 on the SAT I, or a composite score of 27 on the ACT. Recipients must be legal residents of the United States residing in Washington State. Recipients may use the scholarship to attend a college or university included in the border county opportunity project that offers a course of study not available in the state of Washington.

SB 5448
f
College course materials
S Higher Educ
01-23-01
Shin
-- An exemption from the retail sales tax is added for college textbooks sold in designated college bookstores.

SSB 5479
f
Athlete agents
S Rules 2
02-27-01
LCF
(Jacobsen)
-- The National Collegiate Athletics Association asked the National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws (NCCUSL) to draft a Uniform Athlete Agents Act. This bill is a result of NCCUSL`s work.
-- Would require registration of student athlete agents, and provides notification requirements and contract requirements to protect students athletes and institutions.
-- The effective date of the bill is January 1, 2002. Fees set in statute are effective until 2004, when the fees will be adjusted to make the licensing program self- sufficient. Temporary licensure is valid for not more than 60 days. The department is granted powers and duties necessary to carry out the bill. The word "registration" is replaced throughout the bill with the word "license" or "licensure" as appropriate.
-- WSU signed in support Feb. 5
Pro

SSB 5509
Higher ed/student id
H Higher Educ
03-21-01
HIE (Kohl- Welles)
-- Prohibits public institutions of higher education from using student, faculty, and staff social security numbers as a personal identifier except for employment, financial aid, research, assessment and accountability purposes transcripts or as otherwise required by state or federal law.
Pro

SB 5538
f
Trust land transfer program
S Nat/Prk/Shor
01-25-01
Haugen
-- Creating the trust land transfer program as a statutory entity.
-- The Legislature finds the trust land transfer program is an innovative and important program that benefits both the environment and the common school trusts. The trust transfer program is established within the Department of Natural Resources and the Board of Natural Resources must adopt procedures for the department to identify, evaluate, and submit to the board the listing of lands appropriate for funding under the program.

SB 5547
Higher education tuition
S Higher Educ
01-25-01
McAuliffe
-- Declares that the governing boards of the state universities, regional universities, and The Evergreen State College may not set or adjust tuition fees for full- time students, except during the summer term.
-- Institutional governing boards of the six public four- year colleges and universities may not set or adjust tuition fees for full-time students, except during the summer term.
Con

SB 5548
SEPA
S Env/Engy/Wat
01-25-01
Morton
-- Exempting certain activities from the state environmental policy act.

SSB 5552
Border county higher educatn
H Higher Educ
03-21-01
HIE (Carlson)
-- The Border County Higher Education Project is made permanent and is expanded to include bordering Oregon counties and Washington institutions of higher education to participate in the program.
Pro

SB 5655
d
Agencies/executive sessions
S St&Loc Govt
01-30-01
Patterson
-- A governing body of a public agency may not simply hold an executive session because an attorney representing the council is present. Before discussion of "potential litigation" may take place in executive session, the litigation must be actually threatened or the agency must have a reasonable belief that litigation will be commenced. The governing body must state in its minutes at the open session the reasons for the executive session. Minutes for the executive session must be taken and may be reviewed by a judge to see if the executive session was in compliance with the public disclosure statute.

E SSB5674
f
Washington climate center
*H Ag & Ecology
03-29-01
EEW
(Constantine)
-- Authorizes the establishment of the Washington Climate Center (Center) as an independent, nonprofit organization to serve as a central clearinghouse for climate change activities and to perform specified duties related to climate change research and activities.
-- Establishes a 15-member board for the Center, including legislative and other members.
-- Specifies the Center is to be funded though grants and voluntary contributions.
-- Encourages greenhouse gas emitters to mitigate emissions.
Pro

SSB 5767
Nonprofit org/property tax
S Ways & Means
02-21-01
HIE (Carlson)
-- Property owned by foundations of institutions of higher education is exempt from property taxation. Clarifying language is added, referencing schools, colleges, and universities. Additionally, land classified under the open space program that is transferred to a foundation of an institution of higher education is exempt from back taxes and other provisions outlined in current law.
-- The substitute bill adds clarifying language that references universities as well as schools and colleges.
Pro

SSB 5770
Higher education tuition
S Ways & Means
02-28-01
HIE (Kohl- Welles)
-- For the 2001-02 and 2002-2003 academic years, the governing boards of the state universities, the regional universities, and the State Board for Community and Technical Colleges (SBCTC) may increase tuition fees for resident undergraduate students by up to 6.67 percent. There are no restrictions on the adjustments for all other categories of students. Adjustments may be made for such factors as time of day, day of week, campus, and delivery method. Increases may be in excess of the fiscal growth factor.
-- Financial aid monies are appropriated to the state need grant program by the Legislature to cover the 6.67 percent increase. The Senate Higher Education Committee and the house Higher Education Committee are directed to convene a task force to identify options for long-term funding of public higher education. Recommendations are made by November 1, 2001, to the 2002 Legislature.
-- The technical colleges must deposit a minimum of 3.5 percent of operating fees into their local financial aid accounts. Over-enrollment limitations are eliminated.
-- Tuition will be set by the local governing boards and the SBCTC. Tuition may increase by up to 6.67 percent for resident undergraduate students. There is total flexibility for all other categories of students. There is no variable tuition by program. Financial aid will be appropriated to the SNG by the Legislature to cover the 6.67 percent increase. A task force is convened.

SB 5819