HOUSE BILL REPORT

HB 2973

This analysis was prepared by non-partisan legislative staff for the use of legislative members in their deliberations. This analysis is not a part of the legislation nor does it constitute a statement of legislative intent.

As Reported by House Committee On:

Higher Education

Title: An act relating to resident student classification for certain members of the military and their spouses and dependents.

Brief Description: Creating resident student classifications for certain members of the military and their spouses and dependents.

Sponsors: Representatives Orcutt, Wallace, Herrera, Probst, McCune, Klippert, Kelley, Hunter, Kretz, Campbell and Johnson.

Brief History:

Committee Activity:

Higher Education: 1/26/10, 1/29/10 [DP].

Brief Summary of Bill

Includes, in the definition of "resident student," a student who resides in Washington and is on active military duty stationed in one of nine Oregon border counties.
Adds a student who resides in Washington and is the spouse or dependent of a person who resides in Washington and is on active military duty stationed in an Oregon border county to the definition of "resident student."

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON HIGHER EDUCATION

Majority Report: Do pass. Signed by 10 members: Representatives Wallace, Chair; Sells, Vice Chair; Anderson, Ranking Minority Member; Schmick, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; Angel, Carlyle, Driscoll, Haler, Hasegawa and White.

Staff: Cece Clynch (786-7195).

Background:

Resident Student.

Classification as a resident qualifies a student to pay in-state tuition rates which are lower than nonresident rates. The statutory definition of resident student encompasses several categories of students, including:

a financially independent student who has established a domicile in the state of Washington for one year immediately prior to the first day of class for which the student has registered and has established such domicile in this state for other than educational purposes;
a dependent student whose parent or parents have maintained a domicile in Washington for one year prior to the start of class;
a student who has spent at least 75 percent of his or her junior and senior years in a Washington high school and whose parents maintained a domicile in Washington for at least one year in the five-year period preceding the student's enrollment, and who enrolls in college within six months of leaving high school;
any person who has completed his or her senior year in a Washington high school, received a high school diploma or its equivalent, continuously lived in Washington three years prior to receiving the diploma and continued to live in Washington after receipt, and who provides an affidavit indicating that he or she will file an application to become a permanent resident; and
a student who is on active military duty stationed in this state or who is a member of the Washington National Guard, as well as his or her spouse or dependents.

Border County Higher Education Opportunity Project.

Columbia Basin Community College, Clark College, Lower Columbia Community College, Gray's Harbor Community College, and Walla Walla Community College may charge resident tuition rates to students who moved to Washington from an Oregon "border county" within the last 12 months and had lived in the border county for at least 90 days immediately prior to moving to Washington.

The Tri-Cities and Vancouver branch campuses of Washington State University may charge resident tuition rates to students who moved to Washington from one of these nine Oregon border counties provided that the student: (1) moved to Washington within the last 12 months; (2) lived in the border county for at least 90 days immediately prior to moving to Washington; and (3) is enrolled in eight credits or less.

The nine eligible Oregon counties include Columbia, Multnomah, Clatsop, Clackamas, Morrow, Umatilla, Union, Wallowa, and Washington.

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Summary of Bill:

A student who resides in Washington and is on active military duty stationed in one of the nine Oregon border counties is included in the definition of "resident student" and eligible to pay in-state tuition rates. Spouses and dependents of active military members stationed in one of the border counties and living in Washington are also eligible for in-state tuition rates as long as the spouse or dependent also resides in Washington. If the person on active military duty moves from Washington or is reassigned out of one of the Oregon border counties, his or her spouse or dependent maintains resident status so long as the spouse or dependent resides in Washington and is continuously enrolled in a degree program.

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Appropriation: None.

Fiscal Note: Available.

Effective Date: The bill takes effect 90 days after adjournment of the session in which the bill is passed.

Staff Summary of Public Testimony:

(In support) Military persons who are stationed in Oregon but live in Washington and pay taxes in Washington should be afforded the resident tuition rate. This bill addresses one of those little quirks that arose because of Washington's proximity to Oregon.

(Opposed) None.

Persons Testifying: Representative Orcutt, prime sponsor.

Persons Signed In To Testify But Not Testifying: None.