The Legislature spent this week hearing and voting on bills that received amendments after passing their originating chamber, including the corrections education bill. Budget negotiators are still at work on operating, capital and transportation budget proposals hoping to reach an agreement before Sine Die on April 25. >>
House and Senate fiscal committees will wrap up their work today after a week of hours-long meetings to hear public testimony and vote on bills. Committee members this week heard community and technical college-focused bills on diversity, equity and inclusion, computer science bachelor's degrees, equity and access, supporting students experiencing homelessness, and the Customized Training Program. >>
The House and Senate policy committees continued hearing and voting on bills this week, including the college system's requested bill that would prohibit school districts from withholding a students' official grades and transcripts due to an unpaid fine or fee. Members of the Senate Higher Education and Workforce Development Committee also heard the bill that would extend the business and occupation tax credit for businesses participating in the Customized Training Program and held a work session on the college system's diversity, equity and inclusion efforts. >>
Session reached its halfway point this week as the House and Senate continued their work on the floor debating and voting on bills. The House on Wednesday voted 97-0 to pass 2SHB 1033, the bill that would extend the business and occupation tax credit for the Customized Training Program. >>
The Legislature's fiscal committees were busy this week hearing the fiscal impact of bills that made it past Monday's policy committee cutoff deadline. The Senate Ways and Means Committee is in an all-day hearing today and House Appropriations Committee will hold its marathon hearing tomorrow. >>
House and Senate committees continued their virtual work this week, hearing bills on extending the Customized Training Program tax credit, expanding a pilot program serving students experiencing homelessness or who were in foster care, expanding educational opportunities in the state's prisons, and addressing equity and access in community and technical colleges. >>
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Legislative News is published weekly during the legislative session by the staff of the Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges to highlight issues impacting the two-year college system.
SBCTC is led by a Governor-appointed board and provides leadership, advocacy, and coordination for Washington’s system of 34 public community and technical colleges. Each year, about 337,000 students train for the workforce, prepare to transfer to a university, gain basic math and English skills, or pursue continuing education. Visit our website at SBCTC.edu or email us a SBCTCCommunications@sbctc.edu
