Washington State House of Representatives Office of Program Research	BILL ANALYSIS
Capital Budget Committee

HCR 4409

Brief Description:  Creating a joint select committee to review future facilities needs for higher education.

Sponsors:  Representatives Alexander, Murray, Kenney, Cox, O'Brien, D. Schmidt, Hankins, McIntire, Edwards and Esser.

Brief Summary of Bill

$Creates an eight member joint select committee to review the future facility needs of higher education and report its findings to the 2002 session of the Legislature.

Hearing Date:  3/7/01

Staff:  Charlie Gavigan (786‑7340).

Background: 

The Higher Education Coordinating Board is charged by the Legislature with coordinating the activities of higher education institutions in Washington and developing and updating a master plan for higher education in Washington.  The state master plan for higher education, updated in 2000, expects enrollment in postsecondary education to increase significantly by the year 2010. 

The Governor's 2020 Commission on the Future of Postsecondary Education also recommends increasing the higher education enrollment goal to better respond to the growing demands of a knowledge-based economy and challenged the state to find creative solutions to serve the growing number of people without building new college campuses.

Higher education institutions have approximately 44 million square feet of facilities, which is approximately 61% of total state-owned facilities.  In the 1999-01 biennium, the higher education portion of the Capital Budget is 47% of the total authorized debt limit bonds and 32% of total new appropriations. The Governor=s 2001-03 Capital Budget request is 47% and 26%, respectively.  Appropriations in the past few bienniums have been concentrated in new projects on the main campuses, branch campuses and education centers, and preservation/renewal of existing facilities.  Higher education institutions indicate there is a significant backlog of deferred maintenance, renewal and modernization.

Summary of Bill: 

A joint House and Senate committee on the future higher education facilities is appointed to review the higher educations enrollment levels in the master plan, review the facility needs for future students, review the preservation needs for higher education facilities, and review the funding options for preservation and additional higher educations facilities.

The joint committee consists of four members from the House and four from the Senate, including a member from the House Capital Budget Committee, House Appropriations Committee, House Higher Education Committee, Senate Ways and Means Committee, and Senate Higher Education Committee.  The committee must report its findings and recommendations at the 2002 legislative session.

Appropriation:  None.

Fiscal Note:  Not Requested.