Passed by the House February 9, 2006 Yeas 90 Nays 8 ________________________________________ Speaker of the House of Representatives Passed by the Senate March 3, 2006 Yeas 48 Nays 0 ________________________________________ President of the Senate		CERTIFICATE I, Richard Nafziger, Chief Clerk of the House of Representatives of the State of Washington, do hereby certify that the attached is SUBSTITUTE HOUSE BILL 3113 as passed by the House of Representatives and the Senate on the dates hereon set forth. ________________________________________ Chief Clerk
Approved ________________________________________ Governor of the State of Washington		FILED Secretary of State State of Washington

AN ACT Relating to expanding access to higher education in north Snohomish, Island, and Skagit counties using the university center model; creating new sections; and providing an effective date.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1   (1) RCW 28B.50.901 assigns responsibility for the north Snohomish, Island, and Skagit counties higher education consortium to Everett Community College. Everett Community College submitted a report titled "Higher Education Opportunity in the NSIS Region" on December 1, 2005, to the appropriate committees of the legislature. The legislature accepts this report as representative of the needs for higher education in the North Snohomish, Island, and Skagit counties (NSIS) region. It is the intent of the legislature to support enrollment growth in the NSIS county regions of the state as represented in the report.
     (2) The legislature finds that recent research by the state board for community and technical colleges indicates that the immediate needs of at least five hundred students are not being met in the NSIS region at the upper-division level.
     (3) The legislature further finds that long-term unmet need in the Snohomish, Island, and Skagit county region is projected to reach four thousand one hundred forty-one upper-division full-time equivalents by the year 2025.
     (4) Therefore, the legislature intends to provide funding for a minimum of two hundred fifty full-time equivalents at the upper-division and graduate levels for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2007. This funding shall be used to meet the higher education needs of the NSIS region.
     (5) This funding shall be provided to support at least two hundred fifty full-time equivalents at the upper-division and graduate levels including but not limited to the following fields of study: Engineering, technology, nursing and health professions, environmental sciences, education, interdisciplinary studies, and other areas of study based on student and employer demand. These fields of study shall be offered using the university center model, centered on a community college campus with a single point of accountability, and hosted by the community colleges in Snohomish and Skagit counties. Enrollment in these fields shall begin no later than the fall term of 2006.
     (6) Everett Community College, with the assistance of Edmonds Community College, Skagit Valley College, and the universities participating in offering the enrollment subject to this section shall submit a report to the appropriate committees of the legislature by July 1, 2007. The report shall describe the number of enrollments and degrees produced as a result of the funding provided in this act, as well as the effect of those enrollments and degrees on local communities.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2 If specific funding for the purposes of this act, referencing this act by bill or chapter number, is not provided by June 30, 2006, in the omnibus appropriations act, this act is null and void.