6444-S.E AMH ANDG SMIT 287

ESSB 6444 - H AMD TO H AMD (H-5483.2/10) 1309

By Representative Anderson

ADOPTED 3/05/2010

    On page 208, after line 16, insert the following:

"(9)(a) Within existing resources, a legislative task force on four-year public university access and affordability is established with the following membership:

    (i) The president of the senate shall appoint one member from

each of the two largest caucuses of the senate. At least one member shall be a member of the senate higher education and workforce development committee and at least one member shall be a member of the senate ways and means committee;

    (ii) The speaker of the house of representatives shall appoint

one member from each of the two largest caucuses of the house of representatives. At least one member shall be a member of the house higher education committee and at least one member shall be a member of the house education appropriations committee; and

    (iii) The governor shall appoint the chair of the committee, who

is a non-voting member. The appointee shall not be a current or

former trustee, employee, vendor, or contractor to a Washington

public four-year institution of higher education.

    (b) Staff support for the task force shall be provided by the

house office of program research and senate committee services. 

    (c) The duties of the task force shall include:

    (i) Recommending a ten-year integrated and comprehensive state policy to align state investments in institutional support and financial aid, tuition, and cost management;

    (ii) Reviewing all aspects of the business operations of the public four-year institutions;

    (iii) Issuing recommendations on changes to optimize the use of resources and yield savings that can be redirected so as to maintain academic and research quality, accommodate increasing enrollment demands, and moderate tuition increases; and

    (iv) Conducting an analysis of four-year graduate job placement and retention.

    (d) The workgroup shall report to the appropriate committees of the legislature by December 1, 2010, with findings and

recommendations regarding long-term, sustainable, integrated, and comprehensive policies regarding tuition, state funding levels, financial aid, and institutional cost management."

EFFECT: Establishes a legislative task force on four-year higher education institution affordability and access. The group will consist of one member from each caucus of both the House and Senate and will be staffed by legislative staff. The group will recommend a 10-year strategy that aligns state support, financial aid, tuition, and cost management and includes an analysis of higher education business operations and job placement and retention of graduates. The report is due to the Legislature by December 1, 2010.      

FISCAL IMPACT: None.

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