S-4034.4 _______________________________________________
SENATE BILL 6506
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State of Washington 54th Legislature 1996 Regular Session
By Senators Bauer, Wood, Drew, Prince and Rinehart
Read first time 01/16/96. Referred to Committee on Higher Education.
AN ACT Relating to higher education fiscal matters; amending RCW 28B.15.031; and adding a new section to chapter 28B.15 RCW.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. A new section is added to chapter 28B.15 RCW to read as follows:
The legislature finds that students at public institutions of higher education may benefit from the establishment of technology fees for the purposes of applying technology and providing technological assistance in the learning environment.
(1) The governing boards of the respective institutions of each of the state universities, the regional universities, The Evergreen State College, and the governing boards of each of the community colleges may establish student technology fees, separate from tuition fees and services and activities fees. The initial fee rate shall not exceed four percent of the full-time resident undergraduate tuition and student activities fees rate in the academic year before the implementation of the fee.
(2) Expenditure of funds from this fee shall be used for technology resources that demonstrate a clear nexus to the fee, although the benefits may accrue to the student body in general rather than to any individual fee-paying student.
(3) A student advisory group shall be formed from representative segments of the student body to review the annual expenditure plan for the fee revenue.
(4) Fees shall be established with the consent of a majority of the student body voting on the measure and the elimination of the fees may be made by a majority of the student body voting on the measure. Only changes in the amount of the student technology fee agreed upon by both the governing board and its respective student government association or its equivalent shall be used to adjust the amount charged to students. Changes in the amount charged to students, once implemented, become the basis for future changes. Changes may only occur annually and shall be announced, before the end of the academic year that precedes the change.
Sec. 2. RCW 28B.15.031 and 1995 1st sp.s. c 9 s 2 are each amended to read as follows:
The term "operating fees" as used in this chapter shall include the fees, other than building fees, charged all students registering at the state's colleges and universities but shall not include fees for short courses, self-supporting degree credit programs and courses, marine station work, experimental station work, correspondence or extension courses, and individual instruction and student deposits or rentals, disciplinary and library fines, which colleges and universities shall have the right to impose, laboratory, gymnasium, health, technology and student activity fees, or fees, charges, rentals, and other income derived from any or all revenue producing lands, buildings and facilities of the colleges or universities heretofore or hereafter acquired, constructed or installed, including but not limited to income from rooms, dormitories, dining rooms, hospitals, infirmaries, housing or student activity buildings, vehicular parking facilities, land, or the appurtenances thereon, or such other special fees as may be established by any college or university board of trustees or regents from time to time. All moneys received as operating fees at any institution of higher education shall be deposited in a local account containing only operating fees revenue and related interest: PROVIDED, That a minimum of three and one-half percent of operating fees shall be retained by the institutions, except the technical colleges, for the purposes of RCW 28B.15.820. Local operating fee accounts shall not be subject to appropriation by the legislature or allotment procedures under chapter 43.88 RCW.
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