HOUSE BILL 2077
State of Washington | 68th Legislature | 2024 Regular Session |
ByRepresentatives Reed, Bergquist, and Pollet
Prefiled 01/02/24.Read first time 01/08/24.Referred to Committee on Education.
AN ACT Relating to making higher education more accessible by modifying the Washington guaranteed admissions program and requiring student notifications; and adding new sections to chapter
28A.150 RCW.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. A new section is added to chapter
28A.150 RCW to read as follows:
(1)(a) Subject to the availability of amounts appropriated for this specific purpose, beginning with the 2025-26 academic year, each public school district that operates a high school must enter into a data-sharing agreement with participating state universities, regional universities, and the state college, as defined in RCW
28B.10.016, in guaranteed admissions to facilitate the transfer of 11th and 12th grade high school student data that meets the criteria determined by the Washington guaranteed admissions program by September 30, 2025.
(b) The regional universities, the state college, and at least one campus of each state university must participate in the Washington guaranteed admissions program by January 1, 2025.
(2) An organization representing the presidents of the public four-year institutions of higher education must hold the high school student data collected under this section and make the information available to participating public four-year institutions of higher education, as defined in RCW
28B.10.016, for the purpose of guaranteeing admission to qualified applicants in accordance with this act.
(3) Beginning with the 2025-26 academic year, each public school district that operates a high school must notify students and parents or guardians regarding the Washington guaranteed admissions program and general admissions. Each notification must provide a parent or guardian of a high school student with an opportunity to opt the student out of the Washington guaranteed admissions program. Public school districts must work with participating public four-year institutions of higher education through an organization representing the presidents of the public four-year institutions of higher education to create the notification to students and families.
(4) Through an organization representing the presidents of the public four-year institutions of higher education, public four-year institutions of higher education participating in the Washington guaranteed admissions program must collaborate with the student achievement council to jointly determine eligibility criteria for the program and annually review eligibility criteria.
(5) By December 10, 2026, and each year thereafter until December 31, 2031, an organization representing the presidents of the public four-year institutions of higher education must submit an annual report on the Washington guaranteed admissions program to the appropriate committees of the legislature, pursuant to RCW
43.01.036. The report must include eligibility criteria and changes made to the Washington guaranteed admissions program in the prior academic year.
(6) The definitions in this subsection apply throughout this section unless the context clearly requires otherwise.
(a) "High school" means a public school, as provided in RCW
28A.150.010, that serves students in any of grades nine through 12.
(b) "Public school district" means a school district eligible to receive state basic education moneys under RCW
28A.150.250 and
28A.150.260.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. A new section is added to chapter
28A.150 RCW to read as follows:
(1) The student achievement council must collaborate with the office of the superintendent of public instruction, an organization representing the presidents of the public four-year institutions of higher education, and the Washington school counselor association to create a notice detailing the definitions and eligibility criteria for the following programs or initiatives:
(a) Washington guaranteed admissions program;
(b) Washington college grant program;
(c) Dual credit programs such as running start and college in the high school;
(d) Career and technical education programs;
(e) Two-year college pathways;
(f) Free application for federal student aid; and
(g) Washington application for state financial aid.
(2) The office of the superintendent of public instruction must disseminate the notice created in subsection (1) of this section to each public school district that operates a high school.
(3)(a) Beginning in the 2024-25 academic year, each public school district that operates a high school must disseminate the notice created in subsection (1) of this section to ninth, 10th, and 11th grade students and their parents or guardians at the beginning of the academic year but no later than November of each academic year. The notice may be disseminated electronically.
(b) Beginning in the 2024-25 academic year, each public school district that operates a high school must designate a staff member or create a virtual resource for students to learn more about the information contained in the notice created in subsection (1) of this section.
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