BILL REQ. #:  H-1954.2 

Read first time 02/27/2003.   Referred to Committee on Capital Budget.

     AN ACT Relating to prioritizing proposed capital projects of higher education institutions; adding a new section to chapter 28B.80 RCW; and creating a new section.

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

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1   (1) The legislature finds that a capital investment in higher education facilities is needed over the next several biennia to adequately preserve, modernize, and expand the capacity of the state's public two-year and four-year colleges and universities. This investment is needed to responsibly preserve and restore existing facilities and to provide additional space for new students. Further, the legislature finds that capital appropriations will need to respond to each of these areas of need in a planned, balanced, and prioritized manner so that access to a quality system of higher education is ensured.
     (2) It is the intent of the legislature that a methodology be developed that will guide capital appropriation decisions by rating and individually ranking, in sequential, priority order, all major capital projects proposed by the two-year and four-year public universities and colleges. Further, it is the intent of the legislature that this rating, ranking, and prioritization of capital needs will reflect the state's higher education policies and goals including the comprehensive master plan for higher education as submitted by the higher education coordinating board and as adopted by the legislature.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 2   A new section is added to chapter 28B.80 RCW to read as follows:
     (1) In preparing its 2005-2007 and subsequent biennial capital budget recommendations, the board shall: (a) Review and consider the prioritized community and technical colleges prioritized project list prepared by the state board for community and technical colleges; and (b) prepare, in consultation with the four-year institutions, a single prioritized individual ranking of individual major projects proposed by the four-year institutions.
     (2) The board shall, in consultation with the state board for community and technical colleges and the public four-year institutions, submit its biennial capital budget recommendations on the basis of a prioritized project ranking reflecting the integration of the two-year and four-year prioritized project lists.
     (3) For repairs and improvements to existing facilities and systems, the rating and ranking of individual major projects must be based on criteria or factors that include, but are not limited to, the age and condition of buildings or systems, the programmatic suitability of the building or system, and the activity/occupancy level supported by the building or system. For projects creating new space or capacity, the ratings and rankings of major projects must be based upon an analysis of existing capacity, space utilization levels, and projected enrollment and staffing. The board may aggregate minor works project requests into priority categories without separately ranking each minor project, provided that these aggregated minor works requests are ranked within the overall list.
     (4) In developing this rating and ranking of capital projects proposed by the two-year and four-year public universities and colleges, the board:
     (a) Shall be provided with available information by the public two-year and four-year colleges and universities as deemed necessary by the board;
     (b) May utilize independent services to verify, sample, or evaluate information provided to the board by the two-year and four-year public universities and colleges; and
     (c) Shall have full access to all data maintained by the office of financial management and the joint legislative audit and review committee concerning the condition of higher education facilities.