House and Senate budget writers released their versions of the operating budget over the weekend, holding hearings Monday. House capital budget writers also released their version of that budget early this week, following the Senate version released last week. That proposal was heard in committee Tuesday. >>
House and Senate committees got back to work this week as the session reached its House of Origin cutoff deadline Tuesday. That's the self-imposed date in which bills need to be passed by the chamber in which they started in order to continue in the legislative process. The Senate released its version of the capital budget yesterday, with the Ways and Means Committee hearing testimony on the proposal that afternoon. Elsewhere, legislators heard about the impacts of the delayed FAFSA release and took testimony on the opioid and fentanyl education bill and a Running Start expansion bill. >>
The Legislature reached its first cutoff deadline of the 2024 session Wednesday, when bills needed to be voted out of their policy committees to continue in the legislative process. Community and technical college system-supported bills are moving, including ones on financial aid support, expanding financial aid opportunities, and tuition-free college. >>
House and Senate policy committees continued their work this week hearing bills with potentially big impacts on colleges and college-going students in Washington state. On dockets were bills that would make college tuition free for graduates of the state's public high schools and expanding a financial aid outreach pilot throughout the state. >>
Committee hearings ended their second week, with representatives and senators taking up bills on supporting incarcerated veteran, creating an online credential registry and expanding Washington College Grant eligibility. >>
Legislators this week continued committee hearings, taking up bills on Career Connect Washington, dual credit, the College Bound Scholarship, campus decarbonization plans, corrections education and creating a Native American scholarship program. The House Postsecondary Education and Workforce Committee held a work session Wednesday taking a deeper dive into students' basic needs. >>
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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
