SENATE BILL REPORT

                  ESSB 6313

              As Passed Senate, February 8, 1996

Title:  An act relating to the waiver of higher education tuition and fees for state employees at public institutions of higher education.

Brief Description:  Waiving tuition and fees for certain state employees.

Sponsors:  Senate Committee on Higher Education (originally sponsored by Senators Rinehart, Bauer, Kohl, Drew and Sheldon).

Brief History:

Committee Activity:  Higher Education:  1/22/96, 1/25/96 [DPS].

Passed Senate, 2/8/96, 38-10.

SENATE COMMITTEE ON HIGHER EDUCATION

Majority Report:  That Substitute Senate Bill No. 6313 be substituted therefor, and the substitute bill do pass.

  Signed by Senators Bauer, Chair; Kohl, Vice Chair; Hale, McAuliffe, Rasmussen, Wood and Zarelli.

Staff:  Jennifer Hanlon (786-7784)

Background:  Before 1993, the Higher Education Personnel Board administered higher education personnel law.  As a result, most higher education employees were members of the civil service system.

In 1993, the Legislature gave higher education employees the opportunity to opt out of the civil service system.  Employees can currently choose to have their relationship and corresponding obligations governed by the Public Employees' Collective Bargaining Act, as administered by the Public Employees Relations Commission.

The governing boards of the state higher education institutions may waive all or a portion of tuition and fees for state employees.  The definition of state employees includes those in classified service under the state higher education personnel law and the state civil service law.  Those individuals who choose to opt out of the state civil service system are not eligible for tuition waivers under the statute.

Summary of Bill:  Institutions of higher education in Washington may waive all or part of tuition and fees for state employees.  State employees are those in classified service under the state civil service law, the Public Employees' Collective Bargaining Act, and full-time non-academic employees of public higher education institutions.

Appropriation:  None.

Fiscal Note:  Available.

Effective Date:  The bill contains an emergency clause and takes effect immediately.

Testimony For:  This bill corrects a technical glitch from previous legislation.  Classified employees are an anomaly because they are governed by different statutes.

Testimony Against:  None.

Testified:  PRO:  Steve Ross, Classified Staff Association; Bob Edie, University of Washington; Wendy Rader-Konofalski, WA Federation of Teachers; Gayle Hasinger, technical college classified employee.