SENATE BILL REPORT

                  SHB 1813

              As Reported By Senate Committee On:

              Higher Education, February 15, 1996

Title:  An act relating to financial disclosures by private degree‑granting institutions.

Brief Description:  Exempting financial disclosures by degree‑granting private vocational schools from public disclosure laws.

Sponsors:  House Committee on Higher Education (originally sponsored by Representatives Mulliken, Mason, Sheahan, Blanton, Carlson, Goldsmith, Jacobsen and Delvin).

Brief History:

Committee Activity:  Law & Justice:  3/22/95 [w/o Rec-HIE].

Higher Education:  3/27/95, 3/30/95 [DP]; 2/15/96 [DP].

SENATE COMMITTEE ON HIGHER EDUCATION

Majority Report:  Do pass.

  Signed by Senators Bauer, Chair; Hale, McAuliffe, Prince, Wood and Zarelli.

Staff:  Jean Six (786-7423)

Background:  The Higher Education Coordinating Board is responsible for oversight of private degree granting vocational schools in Washington.  As part of the oversight responsibility, vocational schools are required to provide the Higher Education Coordinating Board with all information that the board may require, including disclosure of financial conditions.

Financial disclosures of private vocational schools that do not grant degrees are not subject to public disclosure under the state public disclosure laws.  Degree-granting private vocational schools are asking for equal treatment.  They feel that the current situation puts them at a competitive disadvantage.

Summary of Bill:  Financial disclosures by degree-granting private vocational schools are not subject to public disclosure.

Appropriation:  None.

Fiscal Note:  Not requested.

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

Testimony For:  Degree-granting private vocational schools deserve equal treatment to the vocational schools that do not offer degrees.

Testimony Against:  There are too many unanswered questions.

Testified:  Linda Broderick, WA Federation of Career Schools (pro); Rowland Thompson, Allied Daily Newspapers (con).