"Sec. 313   RCW 28B.76.240 and 2004 c 275 s 10 are each amended to read as follows:
     The ((board)) council and the state board for community and technical colleges shall adopt statewide transfer and articulation policies that ensure efficient transfer of credits and courses across public two and four-year institutions of higher education. The intent of the policies is to create a statewide system of articulation and alignment between two and four-year institutions. Policies may address but are not limited to creation of a statewide system of course equivalency, creation of transfer associate degrees, statewide articulation agreements, applicability of technical courses toward baccalaureate degrees, and other issues. The institutions of higher education ((and the state board for community and technical colleges)) shall cooperate ((with the board)) in developing the statewide policies and shall provide support and staff resources as necessary to assist in maintaining the policies. ((The board shall submit a progress report to the higher education committees of the senate and house of representatives by December 1, 2006, by which time the legislature expects measurable improvement in alignment and transfer efficiency.))

Sec. 314   RCW 28B.76.250 and 2004 c 55 s 2 are each amended to read as follows:
     (1) The ((higher education coordinating board)) council and the state board for community and technical colleges must ((convene work groups to)) develop transfer associate degrees that will satisfy lower division requirements at public four-year institutions of higher education for specific academic majors. ((Work groups must include representatives from the state board for community and technical colleges and the council of presidents, as well as faculty from two and four-year institutions. Work groups may include representatives from independent four-year institutions.))
     (2) Each transfer associate degree developed under this section must enable a student to complete the lower-division courses or competencies for general education requirements and preparation for the major that a direct-entry student would typically complete in the freshman and sophomore years for that academic major.
     (3) Completion of a transfer associate degree does not guarantee a student admission into an institution of higher education or admission into a major, minor, or professional program at an institution of higher education that has competitive admission standards for the program based on grade point average or other performance criteria.
     (4) ((During the 2004-05 academic year, the work groups must develop transfer degrees for elementary education, engineering, and nursing. Each year thereafter, the higher education coordinating board must convene additional groups to identify and develop additional transfer degrees. The board must give priority to majors in high demand by transfer students and majors that the general direct transfer agreement associate degree does not adequately prepare students to enter automatically upon transfer.
     (5))) The ((higher education coordinating board, in collaboration with the intercollege relations commission,)) council and the state board for community and technical colleges must collect and maintain lists of courses offered by each community and technical college and public four-year institution of higher education that fall within each transfer associate degree.
     (((6) The higher education coordinating board must monitor implementation of transfer associate degrees by public four-year institutions to ensure compliance with subsection (2) of this section.
     (7) Beginning January 10, 2005, the higher education coordinating board must submit a progress report on the development of transfer associate degrees to the higher education committees of the house of representatives and the senate. The first progress report must include measurable benchmark indicators to monitor the effectiveness of the initiatives in improving transfer and baseline data for those indicators before the implementation of the initiatives. Subsequent reports must be submitted by January 10 of each odd-numbered year and must monitor progress on the indicators, describe development of additional transfer associate degrees, and provide other data on improvements in transfer efficiency.))"