Committee hearings resume as Legislature passes floor cutoff deadline

Tuesday marked the House of Origin cutoff, the deadline when bills that started in the House or Senate needed to be voted on by members of the entire chamber. Bills that did not receive a vote or failed to pass, unless a necessary part of the budget, will not move on in the legislative process for the 2021 session.

Diversity, equity and inclusion training bill heard in House College and Workforce Development

March 10 — At its hearing Wednesday, the House College and Workforce Development Committee took up E2SSB 5227, the bill that would establish annual diversity, equity, inclusion and anti-racism professional development and learning opportunities for college and university students, faculty and staff. The Senate approved the bill March 3 with a 35-14 vote.

“I think we can provide tools to all faculty, staff and administrators — and the students who asked to be included in this policy, as well — to be more supportive of each other, to continue to create a climate on our campuses that continues to be inquisitive and challenging, but also provides more support and understanding to folks with diverse backgrounds and experiences,” Sen. Emily Randall said. Randall serves as the chair of the Senate Higher Education and Workforce Development Committee and is this bill’s prime sponsor.

Ha Nguyen, director of equity and diversity at the State Board, testified in support of the bill, saying it aligned well with diversity, equity and inclusion efforts already underway throughout the community and technical college system. She asked the committee to consider an amendment that would allow colleges to conduct their own campus climate assessments, a requirement in the bill, rather than one completed by the State Board.

“We hope the Legislature will consider that our college leaders, along with our faculty, staff and students, will continue to stand strong in ensuring the anti-racist efforts across our state,” she said.

Parfait Bassalé, executive diversity officer at South Puget Sound Community College, praised the bill.

“Firstly, it will help reinforce to all stakeholders the importance of [diversity, equity and inclusion] initiatives we have been undertaking,” he said. “Secondly, it will help us scale our ongoing efforts to provide adaptive DEI trainings in a manner that is sustainable and meaningful to our community.”

Bassalé echoed Nguyen’s request that colleges be able to offer their own campus climate assessments.

Last to testify on the college system’s behalf was Dr. Ivan Harrell, president of Tacoma Community College. Like Nguyen and Bassalé, Harrell expressed his support for the bill’s vision.

“The intent of this bill works to create systemic change that we all have to do together,” he said.

Harrell asked the committee to consider requiring all faculty and staff, not just new hires, to participate in diversity, equity, inclusion and anti-racism training and to require participation only for degree-seeking students and not those who take a class for personal or professional development.

“If we believe that these trainings are important in creating supportive environments for everyone in our college communities, which we do, let’s make sure that these training programs are required for all of our employees and faculty, because every single employee and faculty has a direct impact on these welcoming and supportive environments we are working to create,” Harrell said.

The committee is scheduled to vote on the bill during one of its hearings next week.

Bill to make Juneteenth state holiday heard in Senate state government committee

March 10 — The Senate State Government and Elections Committee picked up its hearings Wednesday morning with SHB 1016, the bill that would make Juneteenth a legal state holiday. The bill passed the House Feb. 25 with an 89-9 vote.

“Virginia, Massachusetts, New York, Pennsylvania, and even Texas are other states that have done the right thing and recognized June 19th as a state paid holiday. Let us join our country persons and follow their lead as this recognition is about a true acknowledgment that chattel slavery happened in this country,” Rep. Melanie Morgan, the bill’s prime sponsor, testified. “Without this, Mister Chair, then how can we advocate for true racial equity? Today we can take a step toward reconciliation and healing by acknowledging Black pain and Black trauma. African Americans deserve to have their history remembered.”

Testifying in favor of the bill’s passage on behalf of the community and technical college system were Da’Mea Birdsong, one of the State Board’s legislative interns and a student at Whatcom Community College, and MarcusAntonio Gunn, a program administrator with Basic Education for Adults and member of the State Board’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee.

“I’ve been a student in the Washington education system for 10 years, and through all my stages of education, I’ve never had the equal opportunity to learn about my true history in a form where my blackness is celebrated and appreciated for the involuntary contribution of my ancestors’ role in American history as a whole,” Birdsong said. “Passing this bill will allow for all communities that make up Washington a chance to acknowledge and learn about the true independence day for the black community.”

Gunn told the committee that Juneteenth holds even greater meaning for his family because it is also his grandmother’s birthday. His grandmother, who will be 87 this year, could not vote until she was 31.

“Today, black folks are still fighting for the right to be seen and heard in our stories and our histories and contributions to America accepted,” Gunn said. “As a Washingtonian for five years, I take pleasure in knowing that here we are inclusive. Here I am seen, and we are heard. Voting up on Juneteenth places Washington on the right side of history.’

The committee is scheduled to vote whether to pass the bill to the next stage in the legislative process at its March 19 hearing.

Bill to expand College in the High School heard in Senate early learning committee

March 10 — A bill that would open College in the High School eligibility to high school 9th graders was heard during Wednesday’s Senate Early Learning and K-12 Education Committee hearing. Under current law, only 10th, 11th and 12th graders can earn college-level credit for College in the High School classes. In addition to expanding eligibility, SHB 1302 would require high schools to publish specified fee and credit information and sets the maximum per college credit tuition fee at $65 per course, adjusted annually for inflation. The House approved the bill Feb. 23 with a 97-0 vote.

Rep. April Berg, the bill’s prime sponsor, testified that the bill would create opportunities for students of color as well as students in smaller and more rural school districts. Ninth graders, she said, may be enrolled in a College in the High School class but won’t receive college-level credit for it while their older peers will.

“So now we're coming back with this bill to clarify, bring equity and parity to a very, very successful program,” she said.

Pam LeMay, director of special academic programs for College in the High School at Edmonds College, testified on behalf of the community and technical college system. She expressed concern with the bill’s language as it implies that students’ College in the High School courses will likely count as elective credits. Current law allows students to transfer credit earned through College in the High School to serve as college and university core credits.

“The credits are recorded on a college transcript and are accepted as transfer credit by all public colleges and universities in Washington state. This agreement is based upon the program's commitment that the College in the High School course has the same learning outcomes, assessment and grading as would have occurred for this student if they had taken that class on the main campus,” she said. “High school teachers who are appointed college in the high school associate faculty meet the same qualifications as campus faculty. Essentially, the students are taking a college course, taught by an appointed college teacher who is also offering high school credit.”

The bill is scheduled for a committee vote on March 15.

House College and Workforce Development Committee hears computer science bachelor's degree bill

March 11 — A bill authorizing community and technical colleges to offer computer science Bachelor of Science degrees was up for a hearing during Thursday’s House College and Workforce Development Committee hearing. The bill, SSB 5401, passed the Senate March 2 with a 48-0 vote. Under current law, only Bellevue College may offer a Bachelor’s of Science in Computer Science. Legislation authorizing that degree offering was passed in 2016, and the college began admitting students into the program that fall.

Sen. Joe Nguyen, the bill’s prime sponsor, testified that the lack of opportunity and access to computer science degrees prevents people from pursuing that career field. By allowing community and technical colleges to offer computer science bachelor’s degrees, more people would be able to enroll in programs.

“This bill would help Washingtonians and the companies here fill good jobs with high wages now, jobs that reflect the future of our economy,” he said.

Arlen Harris, legislative director at the State Board, provided the committee with background of how the college system develops applied bachelor’s degrees, saying that a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science degree would follow the same level of rigor.

“Based upon the success that the state’s community and technical colleges have with applied bachelor’s programs meeting the needs of both students and industry partners, the sector is well positioned and well prepared to help develop the curriculum for, and design and deliver courses leading to a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science,” he said.

Rob Viens, associate vice president for academic affairs at Bellevue College, told the committee about his college’s experience offering the community and technical college system’s only Bachelor of Science in Computer Science degree.

“We’ve produced very high quality graduates and that’s reflected in the number of applicants we’ve seen over the years,” he said. “BC’s success has shown that with planning and collaboration, community [and technical] colleges, working with industry partners, can expand our offering of CS degrees across the state and it can have major benefits for everyone.”

Dr. Shelia Edwards Lange, president of Seattle Central College, said that the bill would help bring racial equity to the computer science field. Forty-eight percent of students enrolled in Washington’s community and technical colleges are students of color.

“Our students are racially diverse and highly motivated. Many are place bound with families and jobs and they don’t have the mobility to relocate to enroll in existing computer science bachelor’s program degrees in our state,” she said. “If given the opportunity to earn a computer science degree in their own community, they will do so.”

The bill is scheduled for a committee vote next week.

Rosa Franklin Legislative Internship Program Scholarship bill heard in House state government committee

March 11 — A bill that would create the Rosa Franklin Legislative Internship Program Scholarship was up for a hearing Thursday before the House State Government and Tribal Relations Committee. Rosa Franklin, who worked as a nurse for 42 years, served the 29th Legislative District in the House of Representatives and the Senate from 1991 to 2011. The bill, SB 5431, would create a financial need-based scholarship for interns in the Legislative Internship Program, a program in which college and university students work during the legislative session as staff to members of the House or Senate.

“This is a real gateway into our political system for so many young people, and yet there are still barriers to participation,” Sen. Emily Randall, the bill’s prime sponsor, said. “We want to continue broadening this [program] to make sure that young people from rural and urban communities all across the state, first-generation college students and people who continue to be underrepresented can find their way into the legislative internship program and bring with them their breadth and depth of experience.”

Deanna George, a student at Tacoma Community College and legislative intern for the State Board during the 2020 session, testified in favor of the bill’s passage.

“Rosa Franklin served while bearing the next generation of city leaders, state representatives and senators on her shoulders. I can think of nothing more fitting than a legislative internship scholarship that would bear her name,” she said.

Calling her experience as a legislative intern “life changing,” George said the opportunity not only taught her how the Legislature operates, but allowed her to make connections that led to other life-changing opportunities.

“[It’s] all been really wonderful, and which is why it is a privilege of mine to be able to speak on behalf this bill that would provide opportunities for other students to have those same experiences that I did,” she said.

The committee is scheduled to vote on the bill at its March 15 hearing.

Students experiencing homelessness pilot expansion bill heard in Senate higher education committee

March 11 — The Senate Higher Education and Workforce Development Committee at its hearing Thursday took up SHB 1166, the bill that would expand the Supporting Students Experiencing Homelessness (SSEH) pilot program. The bill would double the number of community and technical colleges and universities participating in the program to a total of eight colleges and four universities.

Rep. Mari Leavitt, the bill’s prime sponsor and vice chair of the House College and Workforce Development Committee, told the senate committee that the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated the problem of students struggling with housing and other needs. The SSEH program, created in 2019 and launched in 2020, has helped students at the four pilot community colleges find stability to continue their educations.

“This program already exists, and it works,” Leavitt said.

Dr. Tim Stokes, president of South Puget Sound Community College, one of the SSEH pilots, shared the steps his college took to support 42 students over the last year, including signing a master lease with a nearby apartment complex so students could sign leases directly with the college. 

“I can honestly say, I do believe we saved some of those students’ lives,” he said.

Auntoria Peden, who attends South Puget Sound to earn certificates to boost her career as a certified nursing assistant, testified that the cost of rent coupled with the COVID-19 pandemic put housing out of reach for her.

“This program took a lot of that burden off of me, to where I wasn’t sleeping in my car anymore, and I wasn’t having to pay for hotels. And these are things on top of regular living,” she said.

Telling the committee about the financial need she faced after the death of her father, Sydney Sharp, a student at Skagit Valley College and State Board legislative intern, said her college plans were put on hold while she worked multiple jobs to help support herself and her mother.

“No one is immune to financial hardship and the expansion of these kinds of supports would help more students focus on college,” she said.

Jessica Porter, program coordinator for the SSEH pilot colleges at the State Board, outlined to the committee what the pilot program has been able to accomplish since it began in February 2020.

“The value of these supports is undeniable when we hear directly from students as we have today and earlier this legislative session,” she said.

The committee is scheduled to vote on the bill at its March 18 hearing.

Corrections education expansion bill heard in Senate human services 

March 11 — The Senate Human Services, Reentry and Rehabilitation Committee at its hearing Thursday took up 2SHB 1044, the bill that would expand educational opportunities in the state’s prisons by allowing colleges and universities to offer associate and bachelor’s academic degree options in addition to the currently allowed workforce certificates and degrees. The bill also addresses accommodations for incarcerated people with learning disabilities and traumatic brain injuries. The bill passed the House on Feb. 25 with a 96-2 vote.

“Correctional education programs improve job prospects, reduce recidivism and save taxpayer dollars,” said Rep. Mari Leavitt, the bill’s prime sponsor and vice chair of the House College and Workforce Development Committee. “We also see long-term contributions to the safety and well-being of the communities to which formally incarcerated people return, not to mention the safety within the facilities themselves.”

Shane Sweetman, a student at Centralia College at Cedar Creek Corrections Center, testified in favor of the bill from the prison.

“Since I’ve been doing my education, it has let me find out who I am as a person. It has given me hope in myself. It has given me belief and strength in myself,” he said. “I have the means to be successful in my life financially, but in order to be successful in my life financially, we have to be proud of who we are, and we have to know in our heart that we are safe and sound.”

Loretta Taylor, education services administrator with the Department of Corrections, spoke in support of the bill, encouraging the committee to consider the resources and staffing needed to implement the parts of the bill addressing technological expansion and educational disability support services.

“Having worked in the Department [of Corrections] for over 25 years and most of my career in corrections education, I have seen firsthand, as both an educator and administrator, the transformative power of education,” she said. “We know that the impact is far reaching, and that not only does it transform those inside, but it positively influences prison culture, making our prisons safer for both staff and the incarcerated.”

Pat Siebert-Love, the corrections policy associate at the State Board, told the committee that education is the number one influencer of employment, thanking the bill’s authors for allowing academic degree offerings.

“When somebody enters into the job force, and they enter in a low-wage, they are destined to probably stay at a low wage,” she said. “When we enter people into the workforce at a higher wage through education, that allows them to get out of poverty and move forward. I know that sounds simple. It is simple. We just have to have the will and the courage to be able to do it.”

The bill is scheduled for a committee vote on March 16.

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 1016	Making Juneteenth a legal holiday.	March 10: Public hearing in Senate State Government and Elections Committee. March 19: Scheduled for executive session in Senate State Government and Elections Committee.
HB 1033	Concerning the Washington customized employment training program.	March 16: Scheduled for public hearing in the Senate Higher Education and Workforce Development Committee. March 18: Scheduled for executive session in the Senate Higher Education and Workforce Development Committee.
HB 1044	Creating prison to postsecondary education pathways.	March 11: Public hearing in the Senate Human Services, Reentry and Rehabilitation Committee. March 16: Scheduled for executive session in the Senate Human Services, Reentry and Rehabilitation Committee.
HB 1166	Expanding access to the homeless and foster care college students pilot program.	March 11: Public hearing in Senate Higher Education and Workforce Development Committee. March 18: Scheduled for executive session in the Senate Higher Education and Workforce Development Committee.
HB 1176	Concerning access to higher education.	March 17: Scheduled for public hearing in the Senate Early Learning and K-12 Education Committee.
HB 1302	Concerning college in the high school programs.	March 10: Public hearing in Senate Early Learning and K-12 Education Committee. March 15: Scheduled for executive session in the Senate Early Learning and K-12 Education Committee.
SB 5194	Providing for equity and access in the community and technical colleges.	March 10: Referred to House College and Workforce Development Committee.
SB 5227	Requiring diversity, equity, inclusion, and antiracism training and assessments at institutions of higher education.	March 10: Public hearing in the House College and Workforce Development Committee. March 17: Scheduled for executive session in the House College and Workforce Development Committee. March 18: Scheduled for executive session in the House College and Workforce Development Committee.
SB 5288	Increasing access to the Washington opportunity scholarship program.	March 10: Referred to House College and Workforce Development Committee.
SB 5401	Authorizing community and technical colleges to offer bachelor degrees in computer science.	March 11: Public hearing in the House College and Workforce Development Committee. March 17: Scheduled for executive session in the House College and Workforce Development Committee. March 18: Scheduled for executive session in the House College and Workforce Development Committee.
SB 5431	Creating the Rosa Franklin legislative internship program scholarship.	March 11: Public hearing in the House State Government and Tribal Relations Committee. March 15: Scheduled for executive session in the House State Government and Tribal Relations Committee.

Coming up next week

The bill that would extend the business and occupation tax credit for employers participating in the Customized Training Program is up for a hearing Tuesday as hearings continue. Also up for a hearing is the community and technical college system-requested bill that would prohibit school districts from withholding a student’s official grades and transcripts due to an unpaid fee or fine.