BILL REQ. #:  H-3304.1 

Read first time 01/17/14.   Referred to Committee on Higher Education.

     AN ACT Relating to higher education programs; adding a new section to chapter 43.41 RCW; and creating a new section.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1   (1) The legislature acknowledges that students need information on the wage growth potential before they decide to enroll in a higher education program and that this information is not available for many higher education programs in the state.
     (2) The legislature recognizes that long-term earnings and employment information for graduates of higher education programs provides higher education leaders and policymakers with valuable information.
     (3) The legislature recognizes that the collection of any data on employment and earnings must strictly follow federal privacy guidelines, including the removal of personally identifiable information and methods of identifying individuals, such as the removal of certain data sets and data sets for cohorts of fewer than ten.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 2   A new section is added to chapter 43.41 RCW to read as follows:
     (1) By October 1st annually, the education data center shall publish short and long-term earnings and employment data on its web site for completers of higher education degrees, apprenticeships, and certificates awarded by institutions of higher education as defined in RCW 28B.10.016 for each institution. The data must include at a minimum:
     (a) The number and percentage of higher education program completers for each program, with employment at eighteen months and five years after the date of completion;
     (b) The percentage of completers known to be employed for each program; and
     (c) The average or median salary for completers of each program.
     (2) Data reported under subsection (1) of this section shall be by degree, apprenticeship, or certificate program at each institution of higher education.
     (3) In order to collect and analyze the data, the education data center shall consult with the state board for community and technical colleges, the workforce training and education coordinating board, and a representative of four-year institutions of higher education as defined in RCW 28B.10.016, among others.
     (4) In collecting and publishing the data, the education data center and the agencies and institutions transmitting the data must comply with the federal family educational rights and privacy act (20 U.S.C. Sec. 1232g), the federal unemployment compensation program confidentiality rules (20 C.F.R., Part 603), and chapters 50.13 and 50.38 RCW.
     (5) By November 1st annually, the education data center shall prepare, or contract with an entity to prepare, an economic success metrics report of employment and earnings outcomes for degrees, apprenticeships, and certificates earned at institutions of higher education as defined in RCW 28B.10.016. The report shall be delivered to the governor and the higher education and fiscal committees of the legislature and be provided in a format that is easily understandable and accessible to the public through the education data center's web site.