The 2024 legislative session began on January 8^th, this 60-day session is scheduled to run through March 7^th. We have recently passed the first policy and fiscal cutoffs of the legislative session, as legislators on the floor voting to pass bills through their chamber of origin, they are also working on the details of their impending budget proposals.

Western continues to closely track higher education policy bills that are up for consideration, bills of note cover various topics including financial aid, increased student support services, and access to higher education.

Higher Education Policy Bills:

Senate Bill 5999 – Expanding financial aid eligibility.

• Adjusts the median family income (MFI) calculation to increase Washington College Grant award amounts.
• Update: This bill did not move past fiscal cutoff, legislators could decide to adjust the MFI calculation and grant award amounts in the budget.

Senate Bill 5904 – Extending the terms of eligibility for financial aid programs.

• Aligns Washington College Grant eligibility with federal PELL grant eligibility.
• Update: This bill is still moving and needs to be voted off the Senate floor by 2/13 to remain viable.

House Bill 2214 – Automatic qualification for the Washington College Grant.

• Works toward allowing automatic qualification for the Washington College Grant for beneficiaries of other public assistance programs.
• Update: This bill is still moving and needs to be voted off the Senate floor by 2/13 to remain viable.

House Bill 2112 – Concerning opioid and fentanyl education.

• Directs resources and training to higher education campuses.
• Update: This bill is still moving and needs to be voted off the House floor by 2/13 to remain viable.

House Bill 2242 – Supporting sexual assault survivors

• Increases support services available on higher education campuses.
• Update: This bill did not move past fiscal cutoff, the bill sponsor is likely to continue this conversation in interim and into the 2025-27 biennium.

House Bill 2077 – Concerning participation in the Washington guaranteed admissions program

• Codifies the existence of the Washington Guaranteed Admission program which automatically admits Washington high school students to institutions of higher education. 
• Update: This bill did not move past fiscal cutoff, the bill sponsor is likely to continue this conversation in interim and into the 2025-27 biennium.

House Bill 1950 – Concerning the public service loan forgiveness program

• Directs public employers to notify employees about certification renewals and to certify employment through the public service loan forgiveness program at the time of separation.
• Update: This bill is still moving and needs to be voted off the House floor by 2/13 to remain viable.

Other updates:

• The next cutoff is House of Origin cutoff which will occur at 5pm on Tuesday, February 15^th.
• House and Senate budget proposals are expected to be released in the next two weeks.
• The 2024 legislative session is set to adjourn on March 7^th, 2024.

The 2023 Legislative session has begun! This 105-day session started on January 9^th and will end on April 23^rd, 2023. This week, Western testified in favor of the Governor’s proposed operating and capital budgets as well as several bills in the House Postsecondary Education & Workforce Committee and the Senate Higher Education & Workforce Committee.

The following bills are some of the high priority bills that are being closely tracked and received public hearings this week:

• House Bill 1030 – Concerning applied doctorate degrees
  • WWU along with CWU and EWU requested this legislation to allow for blanket legislative approval of applied doctorate offerings. It had a public hearing on 1/11 and is scheduled for executive session on 1/17.
• House Bill 1142 – Increasing tenure track faculty
  • WWU testified in support of this measure at a public hearing on 1/11 and the bill is now scheduled for executive session on 1/18.
• House Bill 1156 – Extending eligibility for the Washington college grant program
  • At the request of the Washington Student Achievement Council, this bill aligns Washington college grant eligibility with the federal PELL grant program, extending the amount of time that students can utilize the grant. The bill had a public hearing on 1/11 and is schedule for executive session on 1/18.
• Senate Bill 5079 – Concerning the date by which tuition is established
  • The public four-year sector requested this technical change to allow for more timely communication of tuition costs to students. This bill had a public hearing on 1/11 and is not yet scheduled for executive action.
• SGA 9240 – Student Trustee Keara Ryan
  • Western’s student trustee for the 2022-23 academic year joined the Senate Higher Education committee to provide sworn testimony as the first step in the confirmation process. Trustee Ryan spoke to experiences as a transfer student and getting involved on campus. The committee took executive action and next the confirmation will go to the Senate floor for a full vote of the Senate.

Other updates:

Western Lobby Day will take place on Monday, January 16^th. This annual tradition brings dozens of WWU students to the Capitol to advocate for their priorities.

In this early stage of session, many bills are introduced each day. This blog will provide updates on legislation and budget priorities that Western is working on this session.

The first major cutoff of this session is policy committee cutoff is Friday, February 17^th. This is the day by which bills must be passed out of the committee they were referred to in order to remain viable this session.

Last month the Washington State Economic and Revenue Forecast Council released the State’s quarterly revenue forecast, projecting a $1.46 billion increase in state revenues for the current 2021-2023 biennium to a total of $63.2 billion and a $632 million increase for the 2023-2025 biennium, which begins July 1, 2023. 

The State’s Chief Economist, Steve Lerch, attributed the increased state revenue projections to high inflation and continued stronger-than-expected revenue collections.  Despite the positive forecast, Lerch indicated that the State’s revenue growth appears to be slowing and much economic uncertainty remains due to rising interest rates, higher inflation, and other global factors such as the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

The next state revenue forecast is scheduled for September 23^rd.  Click here to watch the June 22^nd Forecast Council meeting.

Last night the Washington State Legislature adjourned sine die, concluding the 60-Day Legislative Session.  Legislators passed several bills with impact to Western that are likely to be signed into law by the governor in the coming weeks, including the state’s supplemental operating and capital budgets.

Key outcomes from the 2022 session with impact to the Western community are listed below.

Operating budget investments for WWU:

• Compensation: Funding to support the state’s share of a 3.25% COLA for all WWU employees plus lump, as well as payments included in classified employee collective bargaining agreements. The state funded a higher share of the cost for compensation increases, recognizing the limits on higher education’s ability to fund increases through tuition revenues.
• Student Support: $1.26 million for student support services such as outreach and financial aid support, retention initiatives, mental health support, and initiatives to address learning disruption due to the pandemic.
• Master’s in Nursing: $461k to establish a new Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) degree program, with tracks focused on population health, nursing administration, and nursing education. 
• RN to BSN in Nursing: $433k to align tuition rates for WWU’s existing Bachelor of Science in with other state-supported undergraduate degree programs at Western.
• Cyber Range Poulsbo: $769k for equipment upgrades and technical support at WWU’s Cyber Range located at the Olympic College-Poulsbo campus.
• Hazing prevention: $66K for implementation of HB 1751

Capital budget investments:

• Electrical Engineering and Computer Science: $1.5 million in local funds to offset inflationary increases in construction costs
• Classroom and Lab Upgrades: $1.35 million in bonds
• Minor Works Program: $557k in bonds

Other key higher education investments:

• $34.27 million to provide a Bridge Grant of $500 to all maximum Washington College Grant awardees and increases the maximum WCG award for students between 0-60 percent of the median family income. A student is eligible for a grant if the student receives a maximum college grant award and does not receive the college bound scholarship program
• $3.6 million for grants for nursing programs to purchase or upgrade simulation laboratory equipment in FY 2023
• $3 million for the Nursing Educator Loan Repayment program
• $1 million for the WA Student Achievement Council to administer a grant pool to support new and existing career launch programs at public four-year universities

Highlights of policy bills passed by the Legislature include:

• E2SHB 1736 – Establishing a state student loan program.
• 2SHB 1751 – Concerning hazing prevention and reduction at institutions of higher education.
• 2SHB 1835 – Creating outreach and completion initiatives to increase postsecondary enrollment.
• E2SSB 5764 – Concerning apprenticeships and higher education.
• 2SSB 5789 – Creating the Washington career and college pathways innovation challenge program.
• SB 5854 – Concerning ethical performance of faculty duties.
• ESSB 5874 – Concerning residency of students affiliated with the military.

These bills now move to Governor Inslee’s desk to be signed into law or vetoed. 

Budget leaders in the House and Senate released supplemental operating and capital budget proposals this week following last week’s positive state revenue forecast. 

Both operating proposals include funding for WWU’s top priority, employee compensation increases.  The Senate proposal would also increase the state’s share of compensation funding from 49% state/51% tuition to 66% state/ 34% tuition.  The Senate budget also provides $1.8 million per year for WWU’s Student Retention and Success request, while the House budget provides $720K per year.

The House and Senate operating budget proposals both fully fund Western’s request to align tuition rates in the BSN nursing program with other state-supported undergraduate programs and to establish a new Master’s in Nursing program.  Additionally, both budgets fund upgrades to the WWU Cyber Range in Poulsbo, and the Senate budget also provides funding to expand the current cybersecurity certificate program as a standalone certificate at the Bellingham and Poulsbo campuses and online.

The House and Senate capital budgets include approximately half a million dollars for Minor Works – Programmatic construction projects on campus, as well as authority to use $1.5 million in local funds for existing state-approved projects that are impacted by inflation and supply chain challenges.  The Senate capital budget also includes $1.5 million in bond funding for classroom and lab upgrades.

Budget leaders will spend the remaining weeks of the 2022 Legislative Session negotiating the final supplemental operating and capital budgets.  Session is scheduled to end on Thursday, March 10^th.