HOUSE BILL REPORT

                  HB 1018

                    As Passed Legislature

Title:  An act relating to the Washington award for vocational excellence.

Brief Description:  Changing Washington award for vocational excellence provisions.

Sponsors:  Representatives Carlson, Kenney, Radcliff, Sheahan, Dunn, Esser and Lantz.

Brief History:

  Committee Activity:

Higher Education:  1/19/99, 1/22/99 [DP].

Floor Activity:

Passed House:  2/10/99, 94-1.

Passed Senate:  4/6/99, 44-0.

Passed Legislature.

                 Brief Summary of Bill

$WAVE recipients are required to use their award within six years.

$Recipients who fail to use their award within six years will forfeit their award.

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON HIGHER EDUCATION

Majority Report:  Do pass.  Signed by 8 members:  Representatives Carlson, Republican Co-Chair; Kenney, Democratic Co-Chair; Lantz, Democratic Vice Chair; Radcliff, Republican Vice Chair; Dunn; Edmonds; Esser and Gombosky.

Staff:  Marilee Scarbrough (786-7196).

Background:

In 1984, the Legislature created the Washington Award for Vocational Excellence (WAVE) scholarship program.  Through the award program, up to three students who demonstrate outstanding performance in occupational training programs are selected from each legislative district.

The recipient may use the grant to attend any institution of higher education, independent college or university or a licensed private vocational school.  To qualify for the two-year grants the recipients must enter an institution of higher education within three years of high school graduation.  The program is administered by the Workforce Training and Education Coordinating Board.

Current statutes do not provide a time limit on when recipients must complete use of the scholarship grant.  This lack of a time limit has created difficulties for administrators in determining a student's eligibility for the grant.  The lack of a completion date has also made it difficult for the administrative agency to provide budget projections on the amount of grant funding needed for future scholarships.

Summary of Bill:

Individuals who receive their award during the 1998-99 academic year must use their award within six years.

Individuals who received their award before the 1995-96 academic year must use the award by September 2002.

Recipients who received their award in the 1995-96, 1996-97 or 1997-98 academic years must use their award by September 2005.  Recipients who fail to use their award within these time limits will forfeit their award.

Appropriation:  None.

Fiscal Note:  Not requested.

Effective Date:  The bill contains an emergency clause and takes effect immediately.

Testimony For: This is a simple little bill.  We are trying to solve an administrative problem.  The way the current statute is written many students wait for a long time to use their awards.  Other students do not use their awards at all.  Termination dates for use of the awards will help us solve our administrative problems, especially budget projections.

Testimony Against:  None.

Testified:  Wes Pruitt, Workforce Training and Education Coordinating Board.