BILL REQ. #:  H-2422.1 

Read first time 03/04/2005.   Referred to Committee on Capital Budget.

     AN ACT Relating to prioritization of higher education capital projects; and amending RCW 28B.76.220.

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

Sec. 1   RCW 28B.76.220 and 2004 c 275 s 8 are each amended to read as follows:
     (1)(a) Beginning with the ((2005-2007)) 2007-2009 biennial capital budget submittal and thereafter, the public four-year institutions, in consultation with the council of presidents and the higher education coordinating board, shall prepare a single prioritized individual ranking of the individual projects proposed by the four-year institutions as provided in subsection (2) of this section. As the project ranking is developed, public four-year institutions shall include staff from the office of financial management and the fiscal committees of the legislature in their discussions.
     (b) The public four-year institutions may aggregate minor works project requests into priority categories without separately ranking each minor project, ((provided that)) if these aggregated minor works requests are ranked within the overall list, and if each project meets the definition of minor works according to the capital budget instructions developed by the office of financial management.
     (c) All other individual projects shall be rated and ranked according to a point system that incorporates the following priorities:
     (i) Statewide priorities: The legislature shall, by concurrent resolution, establish statewide priorities for capital projects for the public four-year institutions. Statewide priorities may include, but are not limited to, expanding capacity in particular academic programs, addressing measurable unmet demand for expanded capacity in different geographic regions of the state, implementing particular models of service delivery, or improving alignment between operating and capital budgets. The statewide priorities may also be incorporated into performance contracts negotiated between the state and public four-year institutions. The concurrent resolution shall provide guidance for the allocation of points for projects that meet the statewide priorities.
     (ii) Preservation: For repairs and improvements to existing facilities and systems, the rating and ranking of individual projects must be based first on the facility condition index for the building as established by the joint legislative audit and review committee. Institutions with a higher level of preservation shall receive a greater number of points. Other criteria or factors ((that)) may 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.
     (iii) Utilization: For projects creating new space or capacity, the ratings and rankings of projects must be based first upon ((criteria or factors that include, but are not limited to, measuring existing capacity and progress toward meeting increased space utilization levels as determined)) the utilization of existing space as measured by standards established by the higher education coordinating board. Institutions with a higher level of space utilization shall receive a greater number of points.
     (d) The project ranking shall not be implemented by assigning an equal number of overall points to each public four-year institution, but shall reflect an assignment of points to individual projects based on the priorities and criteria established under this section.
     (2) The single prioritized four-year project list shall be approved by the governing boards of each public four-year institution and shall be submitted to the office of financial management and the higher education coordinating board concurrent with the institution's submittal of their biennial capital budget requests.
     (3)(a) The higher education coordinating board, in consultation with the office of financial management and the joint legislative audit and review committee, shall develop common definitions that public four-year institutions and the state board for community and technical colleges shall use in developing their project lists under this section.
     (b) As part of its duties under RCW 28B.76.210, the higher education coordinating board shall, as part of its biennial budget guidelines, disseminate, by December 1st of each odd-numbered year, the criteria framework, including general definitions, categories, and rating system, to be used by the public four-year institutions in the development of the prioritized four-year project list. The criteria framework shall specify the general priority order of project types based on the priorities described in subsection (1) of this section and other criteria determined by the board, in consultation with the public four-year institutions.
     (c) Under RCW 28B.76.210, the public four-year institutions shall submit a preliminary prioritized four-year project list to the higher education coordinating board by August 1st of each even-numbered year.
     (d) The state board for community and technical colleges shall, as part of its biennial capital budget request, submit a single prioritized ranking of the individual projects proposed for the community and technical colleges. The state board for community and technical colleges shall submit an outline of the prioritized community and technical college project list to the higher education coordinating board under RCW 28B.76.210 by August 1st of each even-numbered year.
     (4) The higher education coordinating board, in consultation with the public four-year institutions, shall resolve any disputes or disagreements arising among the four-year institutions concerning the ranking of particular projects. Further, should one or more governing boards of the public four-year institutions fail to approve the prioritized four-year project list as required in this section, or should a prioritized project list not be submitted by the public four-year institutions concurrent with the submittal of their respective biennial capital budget requests as provided in subsection (2) of this section, the higher education coordinating board shall prepare the prioritized four-year institution project list itself.
     (5) In developing any 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 institutions 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 institutions; 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.
     (6) Beginning with the 2005-2007 biennial capital budget submittal, the higher education coordinating board shall, in consultation with the state board for community and technical colleges and four-year colleges and universities, submit its capital budget recommendations and the separate two-year and four-year prioritized project lists.