BILL REQ. #:  S-0518.1 

Read first time 01/27/09.   Referred to Committee on Higher Education & Workforce Development.

     AN ACT Relating to tuition waivers for state employees; and amending RCW 28B.15.558.

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

Sec. 1   RCW 28B.15.558 and 2007 c 461 s 1 are each amended to read as follows:
     (1) The governing boards of the state universities, the regional universities, The Evergreen State College, and the community colleges may waive all or a portion of the tuition and services and activities fees for state employees as defined under subsection (2) of this section and teachers and other certificated instructional staff under subsection (3) of this section. The enrollment of these persons is pursuant to the following conditions:
     (a) Such persons shall register for and be enrolled in courses on a space available basis and no new course sections shall be created as a result of the registration;
     (b) Enrollment information on persons registered pursuant to this section shall be ((maintained separately from other enrollment information and shall not be)) included in official enrollment reports((, nor shall)). Such persons also shall be considered in any enrollment statistics that would affect budgetary determinations; and
     (c) Persons registering on a space available basis shall be charged a registration fee of not less than five dollars.
     (2) For the purposes of this section, "state employees" means persons employed half-time or more in one or more of the following employee classifications:
     (a) Permanent employees in classified service under chapter 41.06 RCW;
     (b) Permanent employees governed by chapter 41.56 RCW pursuant to the exercise of the option under RCW 41.56.201;
     (c) Permanent classified employees and exempt paraprofessional employees of technical colleges; and
     (d) Faculty, counselors, librarians, and exempt professional and administrative employees at institutions of higher education as defined in RCW 28B.10.016.
     (3) The waivers available to state employees under this section shall also be available to teachers and other certificated instructional staff employed at public common and vocational schools, holding or seeking a valid endorsement and assignment in a state-identified shortage area.
     (4) In awarding waivers, an institution of higher education may award waivers to eligible persons employed by the institution before considering waivers for eligible persons who are not employed by the institution.
     (5) If an institution of higher education exercises the authority granted under this section, it shall include all eligible state employees in the pool of persons eligible to participate in the program.
     (6) In establishing eligibility to receive waivers, institutions of higher education may not discriminate between full-time employees and employees who are employed half-time or more.