Hearings resume following Tuesday's House of Origin cutoff deadline

February 18, 2022 by SBCTC Communications

House and Senate policy committees picked up their work again Wednesday hearing bills from the opposite chamber following Tuesday's House of Origin cutoff deadline. Up this week were bills on apprenticeships, the public service loan forgiveness program, and creating a state student loan program for people from low-income families.

The state's Economic and Revenue Forecast Council on Wednesday released its latest budget outlook, forecasting an additional $1.4 billion in revenue for the 2021-23 biennium compared to its November 2021 forecast. While the House and Senate are expected to release their operating budget proposals on Monday, the Senate this week released its version of the capital budget with the Ways and Means Committee taking testimony at its hearing Thursday. The House is expected on Monday to issue its version of the Capital Budget.

House College and Workforce Development hears bill promoting public service loan forgiveness program

Feb. 16 — The House College and Workforce Development Committee started back Wednesday hearing a bill that would require the Student Loan Advocate, created by the Legislature in 2018, to share information about the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program with public service employees. The program allows for loan forgiveness for people employed full time in the public sector and non-profit organizations for 10 years and who have made 120 consecutive payments on their loans.

The Senate passed ESSB 5847 on a 37 to 12 vote.

“I think with the federal student loan forgiveness program that supports individuals who have had public service for 10 years and had had on-time student loan payments for 10 years to be able to stay in their career pathways is a really positive thing, especially as we're talking about compensation issues for our faculty and staff,” Arlen Harris, legislative director for the State Board, said.

House College hears apprenticeship expansion bill

Feb. 17 — A bill that would extend the Washington College Grant’s maximum award for apprenticeships was heard in the House College and Workforce Development Committee at its hearing Thursday. E2SSB 5764 would provide apprentices the same WCG award as students attending a community or technical college. It would also provide WCG funding for registered apprentices who are not participating in related supplemental instruction at a community or technical college.

The bill additionally requires the William D. Ruckelshaus Center at Washington State University to research and recommend ways for apprentices to receive college credit, as well as requires colleges and universities to establish policies for awarding credit for related supplemental instruction.

The bill passed the Senate 48-0.

“The folks in our community see and recognize and understand apprenticeships as a pathway to living-wage jobs in a way that not all communities do,” Sen. Emily Randall, the bill’s prime sponsor, said. Randall’s district includes the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and Olympic College, which offer apprenticeships and related supplemental instruction.

“I envision a future where every apprenticeship graduate — everyone with a journey card, also — has easy access to a transferable associate degree, one that allows them to pivot and grow in their career if the market or their personal lives require them to change pathways,” she said.

Genevieve Howard, a workforce policy associate at the State Board, and Kevin McCarthy, president of Renton Technical College, testified on behalf of the community and technical college system.

“SBCTC looks forward to working with the stakeholders around the state to implement the findings of the Ruckelshaus Center and sustainably grow apprenticeship opportunities within the state,” Howard said.

Expressing support for the Legislature's focus on apprenticeships, Howard also voiced concern with the lack of funding for instructional resources supporting apprenticeship programs.

Testifying next, McCarthy told the committee that colleges need to weigh apprenticeship offerings with its mission, community and industry need, and economic demand. RTC, which offers 21 apprenticeship programs, receives 50% tuition for each full-time equivalent apprentice.

“At RTC, we want to expand apprenticeships to serve even more members of our community, but the present funding levels and structure make this very difficult. We currently lose money on every new apprenticeship FTE added to the program mix,” he said. “We really look forward to hearing the model from the Ruckelshaus Center study that can suggest other patterns and other models done at the national level that'll allow us to expand this important work to our diverse communities in new and existing fields of apprenticeship.”

Senate higher education committee takes up low-interest student loan program bill

Feb. 17 — The Senate Higher Education and Workforce Development Committee at its hearing Thursday took up a bill that would create the Washington Student Loan Program, which would provide loans at 1% interest rates to qualified students with financial need. Resident students with a family income at or below the state’s median income, who enroll at least half time at a public college or university, and who complete a financial aid application would be eligible.

E2SHB 1736 passed the House 59-39.

“Federal student loan can run you 7, 8, 9% interest and becomes difficult to pay back over time, or you are paying on them for ever and ever and ever and ever. That’s not uncommon,” Arlen Harris, legislative director for the State Board, said. “One percent is an absolutely fabulous interest rate to be able to continue your higher education, your post-secondary education, or your work towards your credential or your degree.”

Senate Ways and Means hears capital budget proposal

Feb. 17 — Senate capital budget writers were the first to release their version of that budget with the Ways and Means Committee taking public testimony at its hearing Thursday. For the community and technical college system, the proposal fully funds an asbestos mitigation project at Pierce College Fort Steilacoom and provides $5 million in minor works infrastructure funding. The college system requested $27 million for minor works infrastructure funding in its capital budget request.

“We are concerned that our $27 million dollar request to replace the system’s oldest infrastructure is not fully funded, but appreciate the $5 million in this proposal,” Wayne Doty, the State Board’s capital budget director, said.

Julie White, president of Pierce College Fort Steilacoom, thanked the committee for fully funding the asbestos mitigation project at Pierce Fort Steilacoom's Olympic South building. She also stressed the need for increased funding for the system’s infrastructure request.

“The partial funding of the prioritized infrastructure replacement minor works list does not include 50-year-old sewer and water lines at the end of their expected useful lifespan on my campus. This will cause major disruptions to operations when they fail,” she said. “Many other colleges face similar challenges. I ask that you please consider a higher level of funding for replacement of our system infrastructure.”

The Senate’s capital budget also outlines a change in the way the community and technical college system structures its capital budget request. Instead of submitting a proposal to fund a project’s design and a second proposal in a subsequent budget year to fund the project’s build, the Senate's proposed budget asks the system to submit a request for design and build funding at the same time. This comes after the State Board’s recommendation to the Ways and Means Committee, fulfilling a mandate in the 2021 capital budget asking for a report on alternative ways of prioritizing and presenting the system’s capital projects list.

Bill status roundup

The bills listed below have been featured in this year's Legislative News and made it past Tuesday's House of Origin cutoff deadline. This bill status is as of noon Friday.

Bill number	Bill title	Bill status
HB 1659	Making higher education more affordable and accessible for students by bridging the gap between cost and need to reduce barriers, improve opportunity, and advance economic security	Feb. 13: Passed House 83-15 Feb. 22: Scheduled for public hearing in Senate Higher Education and Workforce Development Committee
HB 1687	Enhancing the college bound scholarship program by increasing opportunities for students to attend community and technical colleges	Feb. 12: Passed House 84-14 Feb. 22: Scheduled for public hearing in Senate Higher Education and Workforce Development Committee
HB 1751	Concerning hazing prevention and reduction at institutions of higher education	Feb. 15: Passed House 97-1 Feb. 22: Scheduled for public hearing in Senate Higher Education and Workforce Development Committee
HB 1760	Expanding access to dual credit programs	Feb. 12: Passed House 98-0 Feb. 15: Referred to Senate Ways and Means Committee
HB 1781/SB 5651	Concerning the capital budget	Feb. 22: Scheduled for public hearing in House Capital Budget Committee
HB 1816/SB 5693	Making 2021-2023 fiscal biennium supplemental operating appropriations	Feb. 21: Scheduled for public hearing in House Appropriations Committee
HB 1835	Creating outreach and completion initiatives to increase postsecondary enrollment	Feb. 11: Passed House 88-8 Feb. 17: Public hearing in Senate Higher Education and Workforce Development Committee
HB 2019	Increasing educational and training opportunities for careers in retail	Feb. 2: Passed House 94-2 Feb. 22: Scheduled for public hearing in Senate Higher Education and Workforce Development Committee
SB 5600	Concerning the sustainability and expansion of state registered apprenticeship programs	Feb. 12: Passed Senate 39-10 Feb. 17: Public hearing in House College and Workforce Development Committee
SB 5651/HB 1781	Concerning the capital budget	Feb. 17: Public hearing in Senate Ways and Means Committee
SB 5693/HB 1816	Making 2021-2023 fiscal biennium supplemental operating appropriations	Feb. 21: Scheduled for public hearing in Senate Ways and Means Committee
SB 5692	Concerning programming at the department of corrections	Feb. 11: Passed Senate 49-0 Feb. 13: Referred to House Public Safety Committee
SB 5764	Concerning apprenticeships and higher education	Feb. 10: Passed Senate 48-0 Feb. 17: Public hearing in House College and Workforce Development Committee
SB 5771	Including certain residents who do not have a high school diploma or credential and the number of students expected to enroll in basic education for adults courses at community and technical colleges in caseload forecast council forecasting	Feb. 12: Passed Senate 49-0 Feb. 16: Referred to House Appropriations Committee
SB 5789	Creating the Washington career and college pathways innovation challenge program	Feb. 11: Passed Senate 49-0 Feb. 16: Public hearing in House College and Workforce Development Committee
SB 5847	Providing information to public service employees about the public service loan forgiveness program	Feb. 10: Passed Senate 37-12 Feb. 16: Public hearing in House College and Workforce Development Committee

Trustee confirmations

The Senate on Feb. 11 confirmed Chelsea Mason-Placek's appointment to the State Board.

"She is the current legislative director of the Society of Professional Engineering Employees and Aerospace, and that in itself, is really cool," Sen. Chris Gildon said. "She also represents labor nationally as part of the US Department of Labor Information Advisory Council, and [I] encourage support of this nomination."

The Senate on Feb. 12 confirmed LaTasha Wortham as a trustee at Tacoma Community College.

"We just are so delighted with her service. We would like to confirm her and allow her to continue to serve," Sen. Emily Randall said.

The Senate Higher Education and Workforce Development Committee on Thursday held a confirmation hearing for Gary Chandler's appointment to the Big Bend Community College Board of Trustees.

Coming up next week

House and Senate budget writers are expected to release their operating budget proposals Monday, with hearings scheduled for that afternoon in the House Appropriations Committee and the Senate Ways and Means Committee. The House on Monday is also anticipated to release its capital budget proposal, with a hearing scheduled for Tuesday's House Capital Budget Committee.

Policy committees will continue their work until Thursday when session reaches the cutoff deadline to have bills voted out of those committees to continue in the legislative process.