Fiscal cutoff passes, floor action begins

The Legislature reached its second cutoff of the 2018 session Tuesday as bills needed to be voted out of fiscal committees in order to continue in the legislative process. Bills still alive now await action from their chamber's rules committees or, once placed on the floor calendar, from the entire chamber.

Of note this week, the system-requested bills to add adults aged 25-44 without a high school diploma or equivalent to the state's Caseload Forecast Council's forecasting did not survive cutoff. Also, the Senate confirmed Jan Wigen, trustee for the Community Colleges of Spokane, on Feb. 7.

Bill status roundup

The following bills are being monitored by the college system.

Bill number	Bill title	Bill status	Legislative News coverage
3SHB 1488	Expanding higher education opportunities for certain students	Feb. 8: Second reading	Jan. 10: Rural education program, College Bound Scholarship bills heard in House Higher Education
SHB 1651	Supporting students' success by increasing retention and graduation rates with evidence-based programs	Feb. 2: Referred to House Appropriations Committee	Jan. 23: Evidence shows promise in student support programs
E2SHB 2177	Creating the rural county high employer demand jobs program	Feb. 8: Passed House 98-0	Jan. 10: Rural education program, College Bound Scholarship bills heard in House Higher Education
HB 2252	Concerning policies for granting academic credit at institutions of higher education for international baccalaureate (IB) examinations	Jan. 24: Scheduled for executive action in House Higher Education Committee, but no action taken.	Jan. 16: Bills on dual credit awards and mental health topics in House Higher Education hearing
HB 2299/SB 6032	Making supplemental operating appropriations	Jan. 8: Heard in House Appropriations Committee	Jan. 8: Governor's budget proposal heard in House Appropriations
SHB 2386	Providing room and board for certain college bound scholarship students	Feb. 6: House Rules Committee	Jan. 10: Rural education program, College Bound Scholarship bills heard in House Higher Education
HB 2399/SB 6169	Including certain residents who do not have a high school diploma or equivalent or postsecondary 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	Jan. 15: Heard in House Appropriations Committee	Jan. 15: Basic Education caseload forecast bill heard in House Appropriations
HB 2513/SB 6514	Concerning suicide prevention and behavioral health in higher education, with enhanced services to student veterans	Jan. 29: Heard in House Appropriations Committee	Jan. 16: Bills on dual credit awards and mental health topics in House Higher Education hearing
SHB 2656	Concerning concurrent enrollment programs and college preparatory with examination programs	Feb. 2: Referred to House Appropriations Committee	Jan. 16: Bills on dual credit awards and mental health topics in House Higher Education hearing
HB 2669	Adding part-time employees to state civil service	Feb. 6: Referred to House Rules Committee	Jan. 23: Bill including part-time employees in state civil service heard in House committee
SHB 2685	Promoting preapprenticeship opportunities for high school students	Feb. 7: Passed House 98-0	Jan. 22: Promoting pre-apprenticeship opportunities for high school students
HB 2764	Concerning child care for student parents in public institutions of higher education	Feb. 2: Referred to House Appropriations Committee	Jan. 23: Similar measures on child care for student parents heard in House and Senate committees
HB 2801	Implementing a tracking and early alert system to improve student success at community and technical colleges	Feb. 2: Referred to House Appropriations Committee	Jan. 23: Evidence shows promise in student support programs
HB 2854	Establishing pilot programs to plan for the needs of certain college students experiencing homelessness	Feb. 2: Referred to House Appropriations Committee	Jan. 24: Bill addressing student homelessness heard in House Higher Education
SSB 5074	Aligning eligibility for the college bound scholarship program with the state need grant program	Jan. 24: Passed Senate 38-11, referred to House Higher Education Committee	Jan. 11: Financial aid bills on Senate Higher Education and Workforce Development agenda
SB 5568	Freezing tuition at institutions of higher education	Jan. 23: Heard in Senate Higher Education and Work	Jan. 23: Apprenticeships and college affordability topics of Senate Higher Education
SB 5917	Requiring a systemwide credit policy regarding international baccalaureate exams	Jan. 31: Passed to Senate Rules Committee	Jan. 25: Credit for IB exams on Senate Higher Education agenda
SSB 5993	Modifying collective bargaining law to authorize providing additional compensation to academic employees at community and technical colleges	Feb. 6: Passed to Senate Rules Committee	Jan. 15: Bill allowing colleges to use local funds for salary increases heard in Senate committee Feb. 1: Senate Ways and Means takes up bill on salary increases
SB 6032/SB 2299	Making supplemental operating appropriations	Jan. 9: Heard in Senate Ways and Means Committee	Jan. 9: Senators hear governor's operating budget proposal
SSB 6090	Concerning the capital budget	Jan. 19: Governor signed, effective same day	Jan. 11: Senators urged to pass capital budget to fund college projects
SB 6100	Concerning the working connections childcare subsidy	Jan. 23: Heard in Senate Early Learning and K-12 Education Committee	Jan. 23: Similar measures on child care for student parents heard in House and Senate committees
2SSB 6101	Establishing the evergreen investment scholarship program	Feb. 6: Referred to Senate Rules Committee	Jan. 11: Financial aid bills on Senate Higher Education and Workforce Development agenda
SB 6169/HB 2399	Including certain residents who do not have a high school diploma or equivalent or postsecondary 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	Jan. 30: Heard in Senate Higher Education and Workforce Development Committee	Jan. 30: System-request caseload forecast bill heard in Senate committee
SB 6209	Facilitating high school success	Feb. 1: Heard in Senate Early Learning and K-12 Education Committee	Feb. 1: Bill to expand dual-credit to all high school students heard in Senate Early Learning
2SSB 6262	Establishing pilot programs to plan for the needs of certain college students experiencing homelessness	Feb. 6: Passed to Senate Rules Committee	Jan. 18: Apprenticeship and homeless student-support bills heard in Senate committee
SB 6248	Granting of high school diplomas by community or technical colleges	Feb. 8: Placed on second reading	Jan. 25: Increasing opportunities to earn a high school diploma
2SSB 6274	Helping foster and homeless youth complete apprenticeships	Feb. 6: Passed to Senate Rules Committee	Jan. 18: Apprenticeship and homeless student-support bills heard in Senate committee
SB 6260	Covering costs for low-income running start students	Feb. 1: Executive action taken in Senate Early Learning & K-12 Education Committee	Jan. 29: Running Start textbook and transportation bill heard in Senate Early Learning
SSB 6261	Modifying eligibility for state need grants	Jan. 31: Referred to Senate Ways and Means Committee	Jan. 23: Apprenticeships and college affordability topics of Senate Higher Education
SSB 6486	Expanding registered apprenticeship programs	Feb. 8: Placed on second reading	Jan. 23: Apprenticeships and college affordability topics of Senate Higher Education
SB 6514/HB 2513	Concerning suicide prevention and behavioral health in higher education, with enhanced services to student veterans	Feb. 8: Passed Senate 48-0	Jan. 30: Mental health and suicide prevention bill heard

Coming up next week

The Legislature will spend this weekend and early next week in caucus and on the floor as floor cutoff arrives Wednesday. This date means bills need to be voted out of their originating chamber by 5 p.m. Wednesday in order to continue in the legislative process.