Z-1295.1  _______________________________________________

                         SENATE BILL 6177

          _______________________________________________

State of Washington      54th Legislature     1996 Regular Session

By Senators Bauer and Kohl; by request of Higher Education Coordinating Board

Read first time 01/08/96.  Referred to Committee on Higher Education.

Changing provisions for degree granting institutions.

    AN ACT Relating to student consumer protection; and amending RCW 28B.85.040.

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

    Sec. 1.  RCW 28B.85.040 and 1994 c 38 s 2 are each amended to read as follows:

    (1) An institution or person shall not advertise, offer, sell, or award a degree or any other type of educational credential unless the student has enrolled in and successfully completed a prescribed program of study, as outlined in the institution's publications.  This prohibition shall not apply to honorary credentials clearly designated as such on the front side of the diploma or certificate and awarded by institutions offering other educational credentials in compliance with state law.

    (2) Except as provided in subsection (1) of this section, this chapter shall not apply to:

    (a) Any public college, university, community college, technical college, or institute operating as part of the public higher educational system of this state((.));

    (b) Institutions that have been accredited by an accrediting association recognized by the agency for the purposes of this chapter((, provided)):  PROVIDED, That those institutions meet minimum exemption standards adopted by the agency; and PROVIDED FURTHER, That an institution, branch, extension, or facility operating within the state of Washington which is affiliated with an institution operating in another state must be a separately accredited member institution of any such accrediting association to qualify for this exemption((.));

    (c) Institutions of a religious character, but only as to those education programs devoted exclusively to religious or theological objectives if the programs are represented in an accurate manner in institutional catalogs and other official publications((.)); or

    (d) Institutions not otherwise exempt which offer only workshops or seminars lasting no longer than three calendar days and for which academic credit is not awarded.

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