SENATE BILL REPORT

                  HCR 4407

              As Reported By Senate Committee On:

              Higher Education, February 25, 2000

Brief Description:  Establishing a joint select committee on the future facility needs of higher education.

Sponsors:  Representatives Murray, Mitchell, Edmonds, Esser and Carlson.

Brief History:

Committee Activity:  Higher Education:  2/23/2000, 2/25/2000 [DPA-WM].

SENATE COMMITTEE ON HIGHER EDUCATION

Majority Report:  Do pass as amended and be referred to Committee on Ways & Means.

  Signed by Senators Kohl-Welles, Chair; Shin, Vice Chair; Jacobsen, McAuliffe, Sheahan and B. Sheldon.

Staff:  Jean Six (786-7423)

Background:  The Higher Education Coordinating Board (HECB) is charged by the Legislature to prepare a master plan for higher education in Washington.  The state master plan for higher education sets a goal for increasing enrollment in postsecondary education by the year 2010 and the year 2020.  The goal is to increase lower-division enrollment at the rate of population growth, and upper-division and graduate enrollments to the national average participation rate by the year 2010 and the national 70th percentile participation rate by the year 2020.  To meet these enrollment goals, 59,000 new full-time equivalent students will enter the system by the year 2010 and 92,000 by the year 2020.

The current master plan, The 21^st Century Learner-Strategies to Meet the Challenge, is being debated by the 2000 Legislature.  The HECB is being asked to reexamine its enrollment projections as well as its capital facilities plan assumptions.

The Governor's 2020 Commission on the future of postsecondary education also recommended increasing the higher education enrollment goal to better respond to the growing demands of a knowledge-based economy and challenged the state to find creative solutions to serve the growing number of people without building new college campuses.

Summary of Amended Bill:  A joint House and Senate committee on the future higher education facilities needs is appointed to review the higher education enrollment levels in the master plan, review the facility needs for future students, and review the funding options for additional higher education facilities.

The joint committee consists of four members from the House and four from the Senate, including a member from the House Capital Budget Committee, House Appropriations Committee, House Higher Education Committee, Senate Ways and Means, and Senate Higher Education Committee.  The committee must report its findings and recommendations at the 2001 legislative session.

Amended Bill Compared to Original Bill:  The committee must report its findings and recommendations at the 2001 legislative session instead of the 2000 legislative session.

Appropriation:  None.

Fiscal Note:  Not requested.

Testimony For:  The demands on the capital budget are great.  The Legislature must look at higher education from both the policy and capital points of view.  Higher education cannot continue to maintain 75 percent of the budget.  Many new buildings are being paid for by local monies and we must consider what effect that has on the whole system.

Testimony Against:  None.

Testified:  Representative Murray, prime sponsor (pro).