H-4800              _______________________________________________

                                    SECOND SUBSTITUTE HOUSE BILL NO. 1640

                        _______________________________________________

State of Washington                              50th Legislature                              1988 Regular Session

By House Committee on Ways & Means/Appropriations (originally sponsored by Representatives Fox, Jacobsen, Miller, Kremen, Spanel, Heavey, Silver, Nelson, Jesernig, Braddock, Wineberry, Winsley,R. King, Valle, Leonard, Dellwo, Peery, Haugen,H. Sommers, Jones, Wang, Scott,P. King, Basich, Nutley, O'Brien, Hine, Sanders, Sayan, Pruitt, Todd, Lux,K. Wilson, Unsoeld, Betrozoff and Rust)

Read first time 2/8/88 and passed to Committee on Rules.

AN ACT Relating to higher education; amending RCW 28B.10.870; adding a new section to Title 28B RCW; creating new sections; and making an appropriation.

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

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1.     The legislature finds that G. Robert Ross, immediate past president of Western Washington University, was an exemplary university president who helped lead his school to a position of increasing excellence and national prominence.  Dr. Ross was a convincing spokesperson for excellence in all areas of education and was a leader who strongly encouraged the faculty and staff at Western Washington University to be actively involved in the pursuit of scholarly activities.

          The legislature wishes to honor the public spirit, dedication, integrity, perseverance, inspiration, and accomplishments of Western Washington University faculty through the creation of the G. Robert Ross Distinguished Faculty Award.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2.     The G. Robert Ross distinguished faculty award is hereby established.  The board of trustees at Western washington University shall establish the guidelines for the selection of the recipients of the G. Robert Ross distinguished faculty award.  The board shall establish a local endowment fund for the deposit of all state funds appropriated for this purpose and any private donations.  The board shall administer the endowment fund and the award.  The principal of the invested endowment fund shall not be invaded and the proceeds from the endowment fund may be used to supplement the salary of the holder of the award, to pay salaries of his or her assistants, and to pay expenses associated with the holder's scholarly work.

        Sec. 3.  Section 5, chapter 8, Laws of 1987 and RCW 28B.10.870 are each amended to read as follows:

          All state four-year institutions of higher education shall be eligible for matching trust funds.  An institution may apply to the higher education coordinating board for two hundred fifty thousand dollars from the fund when the institution can match the state funds with an equal amount of pledged or contributed private donations or with funds received through legislative appropriation specifically designated as being qualified to be matched from trust fund moneys.  These donations shall be made specifically to the professorship program, and shall be donated after July 1, 1985.

          Upon an application by an institution, the board may designate two hundred fifty thousand dollars from the trust fund for that institution's pledged professorship.  If the pledged two hundred fifty thousand dollars is not received within three years, the board shall make the designated funds available for another pledged professorship.

          Once the private donation is received by the institution, the higher education coordinating board shall ask the state treasurer to release the state matching funds to a local endowment fund established by the institution for the professorship.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 4.     The sum of two hundred fifty thousand dollars is appropriated for the biennium ending June 30, 1989, from the state general fund to the Western Washington University for deposit in the G. Robert Ross distinguished faculty endowment fund.  The appropriation in this section shall fulfill the matching requirements in RCW 28B.10.870 for an additional two hundred fifty thousand dollars from the distinguished professorship trust fund.  This appropriation along with the matching money from the distinguished professorship trust fund will result in a total amount of five hundred thousand dollars to be deposited into the G. Robert Ross distinguished faculty endowment fund.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 5.     Section 2 of this act is added to Title 28B RCW.