AN ACT Relating to improving the community and technical colleges' contributions to economic development in the state of Washington; amending RCW 28B.15.100; creating new sections; and providing an expiration date.

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

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. The legislature recognizes that a well-trained and educated work force is a key factor in the economic development of the state of Washington. A community and technical college system designed to be responsive to the needs of new or expanding business is a strong incentive for new businesses to locate here. The legislature also recognizes that out-of-state tuition is a disincentive for firms that are required to locate key employees here because it represents a high cost to their continued training and development. The legislature further recognizes that students are better served when they are able to integrate work and training. Short-term, modular training is more easily integrated in the workplace, and is far more responsive to the changes in welfare, the cycle of continued dislocation, and limited resources than full-time training. It is the intent of the legislature to eliminate impediments to the ability of the community and technical colleges to maximize their responsiveness to meet the growing needs of economic development in this state.

Sec. 2. RCW 28B.15.100 and 1998 c 75 s 1 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) The governing boards of the state universities, the regional universities, The Evergreen State College, and the community colleges shall charge to and collect from each of the students registering at the particular institution for any quarter or semester such tuition fees and services and activities fees, and other fees as such board shall in its discretion determine. The total of all fees shall be rounded to the nearest whole dollar amount: PROVIDED, That such tuition fees for other than the summer term shall be in the amounts for the respective institutions as otherwise set forth in RCW 28B.15.067.

(2) Part-time students shall be charged tuition and services and activities fees proportionate to full-time student rates established for residents and nonresidents: PROVIDED, ((~~That students registered for fewer than two credit hours shall be charged tuition and services and activities fees at the rate established for two credit hours: PROVIDED FURTHER,~~)) That, subject to the limitations of RCW 28B.15.910, residents of Idaho or Oregon who are enrolled in community college district number twenty for six or fewer credits during any quarter or semester may be exempted from payment of all or a portion of the nonresident tuition fees differential upon a declaration by the higher education coordinating board that it finds Washington residents from the community college district are afforded substantially equivalent treatment by such other states.

(3) Full-time students registered for more than eighteen credit hours shall be charged an additional operating fee for each credit hour in excess of eighteen hours at the applicable established per credit hour tuition fee rate for part-time students: PROVIDED, That, subject to the limitations of RCW 28B.15.910, the governing boards of the state universities and the community colleges may exempt all or a portion of the additional charge, for students who are registered exclusively in first professional programs in medicine, dental medicine, veterinary medicine, doctor of pharmacy, or law, or who are registered exclusively in required courses in vocational preparatory programs.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 3. The interaction of a changing economy, an evolving work force, and rapid advancements in technology is having secondary impacts on business as usual. The rules and assumptions governmental institutions, business, labor, and citizens of the state of Washington have used for decades need to be reevaluated and altered to address these changes. A more mobile work force and the advancements of distance learning are two elements that are impacted by the state's current residency rules as they pertain to tuition at public two-year and four-year institutions of higher education.

(1) A committee shall be appointed to examine residency requirements for out-of-state tuition at public institutions of higher education. The committee shall consist of an equal number of representatives from: The state board for community and technical colleges, the employment security department, the office of financial management, the higher education coordinating board, and the four-year institutions of higher education.

(2) The study shall include, but not be limited to:

(a) The impact the state's rules for in-state and out-of-state tuition setting has on economic development within the state; and

(b) How the state's residency requirements should be applied to enrollment in distance learning courses.

(3) The study committee shall provide a final report to the senate and house of representatives committees on higher education by December 1, 1999.

(4) This section expires December 31, 1999.