BILL REQ. #:  H-0777.1 

Read first time 01/27/2003.   Referred to Committee on Education.

     AN ACT Relating to studying housing needs of nonsupervisory education employees; and creating new sections.

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

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1   As the disparity in the cost-of-living between different regions and locales in the state has grown in recent years, the purchasing power of salaries has become more disparate for K-12 employees. A major contributor to these costs is housing. The purpose of this act is to commission a study on the impact of housing costs on nonsupervisory K-12 employees and to provide the governor and the legislature with a set of recommendations designed to address those costs within the state's constitutionally required general and uniform system of public schools.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 2   (1) The education housing task force is created to study and report on the issues that need to be addressed in order to provide housing allowances or otherwise meet the housing needs of nonsupervisory education employees.
     (2) The education housing task force shall include seven members selected as follows: One member appointed by the governor; one member appointed by the superintendent of public instruction; two members of the house of representatives committee on education, one from each major caucus, appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives; two members of the senate committee on education, one from each major caucus, appointed by the president of the senate; and a nonvoting chair selected by the other members of the task force. Each voting member of the task force may appoint a designee.
     (3) The members of the task force shall be appointed and commence the study by August 1, 2003.
     (4) By October 1, 2004, the task force shall report to the governor and the legislative education and fiscal committees on possible ways to provide a housing allowance or otherwise meet the housing needs of nonsupervisory education employees.
     (5) The economic and revenue forecast supervisor and staff shall provide staff support to the task force. The economic and revenue forecast supervisor may enter into contracts for any research or other services necessary to fulfill the duties of the task force.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 3   In its deliberations, the education housing task force shall include but need not be limited to consideration of the following questions:
     (1) What are some possible options that could be used to address differences in regional and local housing costs for nonsupervisory educational employees?
     (2) What are the benefits and challenges of providing a regional or local housing allowance from different funding sources that include but need not be limited to:
     (a) Additional state funding;
     (b) Current state funding levels;
     (c) Existing maintenance and operation levy limitations;
     (d) Higher maintenance and operation levy limitations; and
     (e) State bond sales for an education housing trust?
     (3) What could form the basis of a system of housing cost allowances, a system based on equity, or on the need to reduce attrition and turnover, or on both?
     (4) If a housing allowance is based on attrition and turnover, is there evidence that attrition and turnover are highest in the school districts with the highest living or housing costs?
     (5) What is the most appropriate geographic unit upon which to differentiate pay based on the cost of housing?
     (6) Should a housing allowance be a fixed dollar allowance for all eligible personnel or a percentage of salary, or inversely proportionate to salary levels?
     (7) Should a housing allowance be based on comparative costs across school districts or regions, or on a comparison of private sector wages across regions or on the housing needs of individual employees?
     (8) Can quality of life issues that may affect the location decisions of nonsupervisory education employees be factored into monetary compensation issues such as housing costs?
     (9) If nonsupervisory education employees receive housing allowances, should the same system be extended to other state employees?
     (10) Should options in lieu of housing allowances be considered, options that may include but need not be limited to:
     (a) Downpayment assistance for nonsupervisory education employees in qualifying districts;
     (b) Low-interest loans or mortgage subsidies for nonsupervisory education employees in qualifying districts; and
     (c) Capital bond proceeds to buy-down mortgages?
     (11) What are the legal implications of a housing allowance on state requirements to define and fund basic education, provide funding equity for students, and provide a general and uniform system of public schools?
     (12) Within different nonsupervisory employee classifications, should there be additional eligibility limitations or preferences to guide local collective bargaining efforts?