HOUSE BILL REPORT

                  HB 1857

                       As Passed House

                        March 8, 1993

Title:  An act relating to travel expenses of prospective higher education employees.

Brief Description:  Changing travel expense provisions for prospective employees of institutions of higher education.

Sponsors:  Representatives Shin, Brumsickle, L. Johnson, Wood and Romero; by request of State Board for Community and Technical Colleges.

Brief History:

  Reported by House Committee on:

Higher Education, February 23, 1993, DP;

  Passed House, March 8, 1993, 97-0.

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON HIGHER EDUCATION

Majority Report:  Do pass.  Signed by 18 members:  Representatives Jacobsen, Chair; Quall, Vice Chair; Brumsickle, Ranking Minority Member; Sheahan, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; Basich; Bray; Carlson; Casada; Finkbeiner; Flemming; Kessler; J. Kohl; Mielke; Ogden; Orr; Rayburn; Shin; and Wood.

Staff:  Susan Hosch (786-7120).

Background:  Under current law, institutions of higher education are permitted to pay travel expenses to bring certain prospective employees to a designated place for an interview.  Only applicants being considered for the following positions are eligible for payment of travel expenses:  academic positions above the rank of instructor; or professional or administrative employees in supervisory positions. 

Because members of the faculty in community and technical colleges are considered to be instructors, colleges are not permitted to pay travel expenses to interview prospective faculty members.

Summary of Bill:  Four-year institutions of higher education may pay travel expenses for prospective academic employees above the rank of instructor, or for professional or administrative employees in supervisory positions.  Community and technical colleges may pay travel expenses for applicants being considered for full-time faculty positions and for administrative employees in supervisory positions.

Fiscal Note:  Not requested.

Effective Date:  Ninety days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.

Testimony For:  Community and technical colleges are attempting to recruit highly qualified faculty members to replace those instructors who are, in increasing numbers, beginning to retire.  One goal of many colleges is to increase the number of faculty from diverse ethnic backgrounds.  In order to compete with community and technical colleges in other states for these highly qualified instructors, Washington's colleges need additional recruiting tools, such as the ability to pay travel expenses for prospective instructors.  The state auditor has stated that under current law, community and technical colleges are not permitted to pay travel expenses for prospective faculty members since the faculty members would hold the rank of instructor.

Testimony Against:  None.

Witnesses:  (in favor) Ron Bell, Shoreline Community College; Gary Oertli, Edmonds Community College; and Vallie Jo Fry, State Board for Community and Technical Colleges.