READ FIRST TIME 02/05/14.   

     AN ACT Relating to establishing statewide educational attainment goals; creating new sections; and providing an expiration date.

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

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1   (1) The legislature finds that increasing educational attainment is vital to the well-being of Washingtonians and critical to the health of the state's economy. Education opens doors to gainful employment, higher wages, increased job benefits, improved physical health, and increased civic engagement. Educated workers who are capable of competing for high-demand jobs in today's global economy sustain existing employers and attract new businesses. These individuals with competitive higher education credentials directly contribute to the state's economic growth and vitality.
     (2) The legislature finds that workforce and labor market projections estimate that by 2020 the vast majority of jobs in Washington will require at least a high school diploma or equivalent and seventy percent of those jobs will also require some postsecondary education.
     (3) The legislature finds that current levels of educational attainment are inadequate to address the educational needs of the state. In 2013, eighty-nine percent of Washington adults ages twenty-five to forty-four had a high school diploma or equivalent, and less than fifty percent of Washington adults ages twenty-five to forty-four have a postsecondary credential. Noting the prolonged impact of a major economic recession, the legislature recognizes that the state's higher education system must now prepare to expand degree and certificate programs to meet the state's needs as reflected in the new goals adopted in this act. Accordingly, the legislature finds that a new strategy for achieving system growth, high quality, and increased efficiency is needed to meet the goals recommended by the student achievement council.
     (4) The legislature finds seventy-four percent of families in Washington have incomes below the level considered able to afford the cost of attending a community college, and seventy-eight to eighty-two percent of families have incomes below the level considered able to afford one student attending a regional university or research university, respectively. As the state reduced its support for institutions of higher education, the cost of tuition has risen to be over twenty percent of median household income for the state at its research institutions, which is an obstacle to access. Therefore, the legislature finds that it is vital for the student achievement council to adopt a goal of what constitutes affordable tuition, recognizing that tuition is often only half the cost of attending an institution of higher education.
     (5) The legislature notes that the primary mission of the student achievement council is to propose to the governor and the legislature goals for increasing educational attainment in Washington, including recommending the resources necessary to achieve the goals and monitoring progress toward meeting the goals.
     (6) A fundamental principle of the state is that the cost of tuition, where an individual resides in the state, and economic, racial, or other status of an individual, should not be a barrier for any resident to obtain a postsecondary certificate or degree from an institution of higher education.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 2   Following recommendations in the higher education ten-year roadmap in RCW 28B.77.003 and 28B.77.020, the legislature declares that the statewide educational attainment goals required to meet the societal and economic needs of the future are as follows:
     (1) All adults in Washington ages twenty-five to forty-four will have a high school diploma or equivalent by 2023;
     (2) At least seventy percent of Washington adults ages twenty-five to forty-four will have a postsecondary credential by 2023; and
     (3) The cost of tuition, where an individual resides in the state, economic status, race or ethnicity, or other status of an individual, shall not be a barrier for any resident to obtain a postsecondary certificate or degree from an institution of higher education.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 3   By December 1, 2014, the student achievement council shall develop and adopt strategies that will enable the state to achieve each of the goals in section 2 of this act and report back to the governor and the legislature with specific recommendations for those strategies that require legislation or specific appropriations, including timelines and benchmarks towards achieving each goal. This information shall be included in the strategic action plan required in RCW 28B.77.020.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 4   This act expires July 1, 2016.