HOUSE BILL REPORT

SHB 1536

As Passed House:

January 22, 2014

Title: An act relating to membership on community and technical college boards of trustees.

Brief Description: Changing requirements for membership on community and technical college boards of trustees.

Sponsors: House Committee on Higher Education (originally sponsored by Representatives Seaquist, Appleton, Haler, Springer, Stanford, McCoy, Upthegrove, Ormsby, Moscoso, S. Hunt, Ryu, Fitzgibbon, Lytton, Sawyer, Liias, Dunshee, Orwall, Cody, Stonier, Kagi, Moeller, Sells, Reykdal, Fey and Pollet).

Brief History:

Committee Activity:

Higher Education: 2/13/13, 2/14/13 [DPS].

Floor Activity:

Passed House: 3/4/13, 58-40.

Floor Activity:

Passed House: 1/22/14, 58-39.

Majority Report: The substitute bill be substituted therefor and the substitute bill do pass. Signed by 15 members: Representatives Seaquist, Chair; Pollet, Vice Chair; Haler, Ranking Minority Member; Fagan, Hansen, Hargrove, Magendanz, Pedersen, Reykdal, Riccelli, Sawyer, Scott, Sells, Tarleton and Wylie.

Minority Report: Do not pass. Signed by 3 members: Representatives Zeiger, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; Johnson and Smith.

Staff: Madeleine Thompson (786-7304).

Background:

Washington is divided into 30 community and technical college districts. Each district has a board of trustees (board) composed of five trustees appointed by the Governor.

Each board member must be a resident and qualified elector of the district. A board member may not be an employee of the community and technical college system, a board member of another school district, or a board member of another public or private educational institution. In appointing board members, the Governor must consider geographical diversity and representation by labor, business, women, and racial and ethnic minorities.

Each board for a district containing a technical college must include at least one member from business and one member from labor. Within Washington there are five technical colleges: Bates Technical College, Bellingham Technical College, Clover Park Technical College, Lake Washington Institute of Technology, and Renton Technical College.

Summary of Substitute Bill:

Boards from community and technical colleges must include at least one member from business and one from labor.

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) This membership on the boards would help to ensure community and technical colleges are getting the training that is needed in the workforce with the input from business and labor. This vests the labor community with the community and technical college system in terms of supporting it politically and financially. This composition serves as an ideal modeling for the relationship between labor and business to cooperate and to create positive outcomes for both business and workers. This bill codifies the practice for many of these boards. It provides the perspective that is very valuable with respect to all sorts of workforce issues, including collective bargaining with the staff. Labor is heavily invested in the community and technical college business as trainers and as receivers of the training through supplemental instruction for apprenticeships and through other workforce programs. Having both a managerial perspective and the perspective of the workforce helps to create the success of the community and technical college system. People with middle class values are needed on the boards.

(Opposed) None.

Persons Testifying: Representative Seaquist, prime sponsor; Larry Brown, Aerospace Machinists Union; Bob Guenther, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers 77; Jeff Johnson, Washington State Labor Council; Sharon Ness, United Food and Commercial Workers Union; Alia Griffing, Washington Federation of State Employees; and Rodolfo Franco, North Seattle Community College.

Persons Signed In To Testify But Not Testifying: None.