SENATE BILL REPORT
SHB 2651
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 of February 24, 2014
Title: An act relating to creating a higher education transparency web site.
Brief Description: Requiring creation of a higher education transparency web site.
Sponsors: House Committee on Higher Education (originally sponsored by Representatives Hansen, Haler, Zeiger, Magendanz and Pollet).
Brief History: Passed House: 2/11/14, 97-1.
Committee Activity: Higher Education: 2/20/14.
SENATE COMMITTEE ON HIGHER EDUCATION |
Staff: Kimberly Cushing (786-7421)
Background: Currently institutions are required to disclose to undergraduate resident students on tuition billing statements or their web site the source of all institutional revenue and uses of tuition revenue for the prior year. Additionally, each governing board of the four-year institutions of higher education must make public its proposal for tuition and fee increases before adoption and allow opportunity for public comment.
In 2007 the Legislature created an education data center, referred to as the Education Research and Data Center (ERDC), within the Office of Financial Management (OFM) and required OFM to work jointly with the Legislative Education and Accountability Program Committee in conducting collaborative analyses of early learning, K-12, and higher education programs and issues.
In 2011 the Legislature required the four-year institutions to begin reporting annually on specific performance data to the ERDC and for the data to be displayed on OFM's web site, in a uniform dashboard format (dashboard).
Summary of Bill: By January 1, 2015, the ERDC must include easily accessible information on revenues and expenditures for each institution of higher education on the dashboard.
In maintaining revenue and expenditure information, the ERDC must:
ensure the web site is easily accessible;
ensure data is collected and displayed according to confidentiality and public record laws;
use data from existing data sources, wherever possible;
include historical data to allow year-to-year comparisons;
analyze and display the data in order to communicate the relative size of revenues and expenditures for each institution of higher education in an easily accessible and understandable format;
provide basic enrollment information for each institution; and
update the web site each year.
To the extent possible and subject to confidentiality, each institution of higher education and the State Board for Community and Technical Colleges must prominently display on their institutional web sites a link to the dashboard.
Appropriation: None.
Fiscal Note: Available. New fiscal note requested on February 17, 2014.
Committee/Commission/Task Force Created: No.
Effective Date: Ninety days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.
Staff Summary of Public Testimony: OTHER: OFM would prefer that the ERDC not host these reports.
Persons Testifying: OTHER: Paula Moore, OFM.