FINAL BILL REPORT

2SSB 5800

C 330 L 19

Synopsis as Enacted

Brief Description: Concerning homeless college students.

Sponsors: Senate Committee on Ways & Means (originally sponsored by Senators Randall, Zeiger, Nguyen, Wilson, C., Saldaña, Carlyle, Keiser, Sheldon, Das, Hasegawa and Kuderer).

Senate Committee on Higher Education & Workforce Development

Senate Committee on Ways & Means

House Committee on College & Workforce Development

House Committee on Appropriations

Background: Public Baccalaureate Institutions. There are six public, four-year colleges and universities in Washington State. Of the six four-year institutions, four are regional comprehensive colleges and universities including The Evergreen State College, Western Washington University, Central Washington University, and Eastern Washington University. The other two, University of Washington and Washington State University, are research institutions.

Public and Community Technical Colleges. There are 34 public and community technical college (CTC) districts in Washington State. Each public college and CTC must maintain an open-door policy, which states admission cannot be denied because of the location of a student's residence, or because of the student's educational background or ability.

Summary: The State Board for Community and Technical Colleges must select four college districts, two on each side of the crest of the Cascade Mountain range, to participate in a pilot program to assist students experiencing homelessness and students who were in the foster care system when they graduated high school (program-eligible students), subject to appropriations. Similarly, the Washington Student Achievement Council must select two public baccalaureate institutions, one on each side of the crest of the Cascade Mountain range, to participate in a corresponding pilot program, subject to appropriations.

The college districts and public baccalaureate institutions chosen to participate in the pilot program must provide certain accommodations to students that may include, but are not limited to:

• access to laundry facilities;

• access to storage;

• access to locker room and shower facilities;

• reduced-price meals or meal plans, and access to food banks;

• access to technology;

• access to short-term housing or housing assistance, especially during seasonal breaks; and

• case management services.

College districts and public baccalaureate institutions participating in the pilot program must provide information to students on existing community resources for individuals experiencing homelessness, including nonprofit organizations, the local housing authority, and the Department of Commerce's Office of Homeless Youth. The participating institutions may also establish and provide plans to develop surplus property for affordable housing to accommodate the needs of program-eligible students.

Institutions not chosen to participate in the pilot program are encouraged to participate and submit data required of the pilot program participants.

The college districts and public baccalaureate institutions participating in the pilot program must each provide joint reports, one from the CTCs and another from the public baccalaureate institutions, to the appropriate committees of the Legislature by December 1, 2023. The reports must address certain information on students experiencing homelessness or food insecurity, including:

• the total number of program-eligible students attending during the pilot program;

• the number of program-eligible students assisted by the pilot program;

• strategies for accommodating students experiencing homelessness and former foster care students; and

• legislative recommendations for how students experiencing homelessness and former foster care students could be better served.

The pilot program expires July 1, 2023.

Votes on Final Passage: