Legislature adjourns after passing supplemental operating and capital budgets
March 13, 2020 by SBCTC Communications
The Legislature adjourned sine die Thursday evening, with lawmakers passing the 2020 supplemental capital and operating budgets, including $200 million from the state's "rainy day fund" for COVID-19 response.
The final operating budget maintains funding included as part of the Workforce Education Investment Act to the community and technical college system. The budget includes:
- $2.4 million in one-time funding for the Job Skills Program
- Allows flexibility for colleges to use unspent Nurse Educator Salary funding for nursing program equipment
- The Washington Student Achievement Council will convene a task force to propose strategies to eliminate barriers to low-income students participating in dual credit programs like Running Start. The task force will address financial and non-financial barriers.
The capital budget includes funding for community and technical college system projects:
- $20 million for construction of Spokane Falls Community College's Fine and Applied Arts replacement project.
- $275,000 to begin design of Everett Community College's Baker Hall replacement project.
- Authorization to locally finance up to $10 million for South Seattle College's Student Wellness and Fitness Center.
Bill status roundup
The bills listed below have been featured in this year's Legislative News and passed the Legislature.
| Bill number | Bill title | Bill status |
|---|---|---|
| HB 1702 | Informing students of low-cost course materials for community and technical college courses | March 5: Passed Legislature |
| HB 2327 | Addressing sexual misconduct at postsecondary educational institutions | March 11: Passed Legislature |
| HB 2513/SB 6140 | Prohibiting the practice of transcript withholding and limiting the practice of registration holds at institutions of higher education as debt collection practices | March 10: Passed Legislature |
| HB 2589 | Requiring contact information for suicide prevention and crisis intervention organizations on student and staff identification cards | March 3: Passed Legislature |
| HB 2864 | Establishing a running start summer school pilot program | March 5: Passed Legislature |
| SB 6141/HB 2523 | Expanding access to higher education | March 7: Passed Legislature |
| SB 6168/HB 2325 | Making 2019-2021 fiscal biennium supplemental operating appropriations | March 12: Passed Legislature |
| SB 6248/HB 2324 | Concerning the capital budget | March 12: Passed Legislature |
| SB 6374 | Concerning apprenticeship materials for dual credit scholarship programs | March 3: Passed Legislature |
| SB 6492 | Addressing workforce education investment funding through business and occupation tax reform | Feb. 10: Governor signed |
| SB 6561 | Creating the undocumented student support loan program | March 9: |
Trustees confirmed by Senate
The following trustees were confirmed by the Senate this week.
- Brett Willis, Pierce College District, confirmed March 9 (video not online)
- William Warren, Walla Walla Community College, March 9 (video not online)
- Kathryn Bennett, Skagit Valley College, March 9 (video not online)
- Allyson Page, Columbia Basin College, March 10
- Julie McCulloch, Peninsula College, March 12
- Doug Mah, South Puget Sound Community College, March 12
- Janet McDaniel, Cascadia College, March 12
- Fiasili Savusa, Highline College, March 12
