AN ACT Relating to higher education; adding a new section to chapter 28B.80 RCW; adding a new section to chapter 28B.10 RCW; adding a new chapter to Title 28B RCW; and repealing RCW 28B.80.530 and 28B.80.540.

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

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. A new section is added to chapter 28B.80 RCW to read as follows:

The higher education coordinating board shall study upper division baccalaureate educational needs of placebound students, and the graduate educational needs of teachers, living in areas of the state not currently served by either existing four-year institutions or branch campuses. The study shall include recommendations on how the needs should be addressed, and which institutions should be responsible for serving specific areas.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. The legislature finds that many individuals in the state of Washington have attended college and received an associate of arts degree, or its equivalent, but are placebound.

The legislature intends to establish an educational opportunity grant program for placebound students who have completed an associate of arts degree, or its equivalent, in an effort to increase their participation in and completion of upper-division programs.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 3. The educational opportunity grant program is hereby created as a demonstration project to serve placebound financially needy students by assisting them to obtain a baccalaureate degree at public and private institutions of higher education which have the capacity to accommodate such students within existing educational programs and facilities.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 4. (1) For the purposes of this chapter, "placebound" means unable to relocate to complete a college program because of family or employment commitments, health concerns, monetary inability, or other similar factors.

(2) To be eligible for an educational opportunity grant, applicants must be placebound residents of the state of Washington who are needy students as defined in RCW 28B.10.802(3) and who have completed the associate of arts degree or its equivalent. A placebound resident is one who may be influenced by the receipt of an enhanced student financial aid award to attend an institution that has existing unused capacity rather than attend a branch campus established pursuant to chapter 28B.45 RCW. An eligible placebound applicant is further defined as a person whose residence is located in an area served by a branch campus who, because of family or employment commitments, health concerns, monetary need, or other similar factors, would be unable to complete an upper-division course of study but for receipt of an educational opportunity grant.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 5. The higher education coordinating board shall develop and administer the educational opportunity grant program. The board shall adopt necessary rules and guidelines and develop criteria and procedures to select eligible participants in the program. Payment shall be made directly to the eligible participant periodically upon verification of enrollment and satisfactory progress towards degree completion.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 6. Grants may be used by eligible participants to attend any public or private college or university in the state of Washington that has an existing unused capacity. Grants shall not be used to attend any branch campus or educational program established under chapter 28B.45 RCW. The participant shall not be eligible for a grant if it will be used for any programs that include religious worship, exercise, or instruction or to pursue a degree in theology. Each participating student may receive up to two thousand five hundred dollars per academic year, not to exceed the student's demonstrated financial need for the course of study.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 7. A new section is added to chapter 28B.10 RCW to read as follows:

(1) Each institution of higher education with a commissioned police force shall report to the Washington association of sheriffs and police chiefs or its successor agency, on a monthly basis, crime statistics for the Washington state uniform crime report, in the format required by the Washington association of sheriffs and police chiefs, or its successor agency. Institutions of higher education which do not have commissioned police forces shall report crime statistics through appropriate local law enforcement agencies.

(2) Each institution of higher education shall publish and distribute a report which shall be updated annually and which shall include the crime statistics as reported under subsection (1) of this section for the most recent three-year period. Upon request, the institution shall provide the report to every person who submits an application for admission to either a main or branch campus, and to each new employee at the time of employment. In its acknowledgement of receipt of the formal application for admission, the institution shall notify the applicant of the availability of such information. The information also shall be provided on an annual basis to all students and employees. Institutions with more than one campus shall provide the required information on a campus- by-campus basis.

(3) Each institution of higher education shall provide to every new student and new employee, and upon request to other interested persons, information which follows the general categories for safety policies and procedures outlined in this section. Such categories shall, at a minimum, include campus enrollments, campus nonstudent workforce profile, the number and duties of campus security personnel, arrangements with state and local police, and policies on controlled substances. Information for the most recent academic year also shall include a description of any programs offered by an institution's student affairs or services department, and by student government organizations regarding crime prevention and counseling, including a directory of available services and appropriate telephone numbers and physical locations of these services. In addition, institutions maintaining student housing facilities shall include information detailing security policies and programs.

Institutions with a main campus and one or more branch campuses shall provide the information on a campus-by-campus basis.

In the case of community colleges, colleges shall provide such information to the main campuses only and shall provide reasonable alternative information at any off-campus centers and other affiliated college sites enrolling less than one hundred students.

(4) Each institution shall establish a task force which shall annually examine campus security and safety issues. The task force shall review the report published and distributed pursuant to this section in order to ensure the accuracy and effectiveness of the report, and make any suggestions for improvement. This task force shall include representation from the institution's administration, faculty, staff, recognized student organization, and police or security organization.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 8. Sections 2 through 6 of this act shall constitute a new chapter in Title 28B RCW.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 9. The following acts or parts of acts are each repealed:

(1) Section 12, chapter 7, Laws of 1989 1st ex. sess. and RCW 28B.80.530; and

(2) Section 13, chapter 7, Laws of 1989 1st ex. sess. and RCW 28B.80.540.