BP BHEAD INT S [atlas:bill]

AN ACT Relating to public employee compensation; amending 1999 c 309 ss 601 and 723 (uncodified); making appropriations; and declaring an emergency.

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

Sec. 1. 1999 c 309 s 601 (uncodified) is amended to read as follows:

The appropriations in sections 603 through 609 of this act are subject to the following conditions and limitations:

(1) "Institutions" means the institutions of higher education receiving appropriations under sections 603 through 609 of this act.

(2)(a) The salary increases provided or referenced in this subsection shall be the only allowable salary increases provided at institutions of higher education, excluding increases associated with normally occurring promotions and increases related to faculty and professional staff retention, and excluding increases associated with employees under the jurisdiction of chapter 41.56 RCW pursuant to the provisions of RCW 28B.16.015.

(b) Each institution of higher education shall provide to each classified staff employee as defined by the office of financial management a salary increase of 3.0 percent on July 1, 1999, and a salary increase of 3.0 percent on July 1, 2000. The July 1, 2000, salary increase under this subsection shall not be granted to any employee who is compensated on June 30, 2000, at an annual rate that exceeds $40,000.

(c) Each institution of higher education shall provide to instructional and research faculty, exempt professional staff, academic administrators, academic librarians, counselors, teaching and research assistants as classified by the office of financial management, and all other nonclassified staff, including those employees under RCW 28B.16.015, an average salary increase of 3.0 percent on July 1, 1999, and an average salary increase of 3.0 percent on July 1, 2000. The July 1, 2000, salary increase under this subsection shall not be granted to any employee who is compensated on June 30, 2000, at an annual rate that exceeds $40,000.

(d) For employees under the jurisdiction of chapter 41.56 RCW pursuant to the provisions of RCW 28B.16.015, distribution of the salary increases will be in accordance with the applicable collective bargaining agreement. However, an increase shall not be provided to any classified employee whose salary is above the approved salary range maximum for the class to which the employee's position is allocated.

(e) Each institution of higher education receiving appropriations under sections 604 through 609 of this act may provide additional salary increases to instructional and research faculty, exempt professional staff, academic administrators, academic librarians, counselors, teaching and research assistants, as classified by the office of financial management, and all other nonclassified staff, but not including employees under RCW 28B.16.015. Any salary increase granted under the authority of this subsection (2)(e) shall not be included in an institution's salary base. It is the intent of the legislature that general fund--state support for an institution shall not increase during the current or any future biennium as a result of any salary increases authorized under this subsection (2)(e).

(f) Each institution of higher education may also provide additional salary increases to instructional and research faculty funded from reductions in the maximum level of employer contributions to retirement plans offered pursuant to RCW 28B.10.400. Any salary increase granted under the authority of this subsection (2)(f) shall not be included in an institution's salary base. It is the intent of the legislature that general fund‑‑state support for an institution shall not increase during the current or any future biennium as a result of any salary increases authorized under this subsection (2)(f).

(g) To collect consistent data for use by the legislature, the office of financial management, and other state agencies for policy and planning purposes, institutions of higher education shall report personnel data to be used in the department of personnel's human resource data warehouse in compliance with uniform reporting procedures established by the department of personnel.

(h) Specific salary increases authorized in sections 603 through 609 of this act are in addition to any salary increase provided in this subsection.

(i) From the general fund‑‑state appropriations for fiscal year 2001 in sections 603 through 609 of this act, the office of financial management shall place in reserve status $17,402,000 to reflect the savings resulting from the limitation on the July 1, 2000, salary increases in (b) and (c) of this subsection.

(3) The tuition fees, as defined in chapter 28B.15 RCW, charged to full-time students at the state's institutions of higher education for the 1999-00 and 2000-01 academic years, other than the summer term, may be adjusted by the governing boards of the state universities, regional universities, The Evergreen State College, and the state board for community and technical colleges as provided in this subsection.

(a) For the 1999-00 academic year, the governing boards and the state board may implement an increase no greater than four and six-tenths percent over tuition fees charged to full-time students for the 1998-99 academic year.

(b) For the 2000-01 academic year, the governing boards and the state board may implement an increase no greater than three and six-tenths percent over the tuition fees charged to full-time students for the 1999-00 academic year.

(c) For the 1999-01 biennium, the governing boards and the state board may adjust full-time operating fees for factors that may include time of day and day of week, as well as delivery method and campus, to encourage full use of the state's educational facilities and resources.

(d) The tuition increases adopted under (a), (b) and (c) of this subsection need not apply uniformly across student categories as defined in chapter 28B.15 RCW so long as the increase for each student category does not exceed the percentages specified in this subsection.

(e) In addition to waivers granted under the authority of RCW 28B.15.910, the governing boards and the state board may waive all or a portion of the operating fees for any student. State general fund appropriations shall not be provided to replace tuition and fee revenue foregone as a result of waivers granted under this subsection.

(4) Pursuant to RCW 43.15.055, institutions of higher education receiving appropriations under sections 603 through 609 of this act are authorized to increase summer term tuition in excess of the fiscal growth factor during the 1999-01 biennium. Tuition levels increased pursuant to this subsection shall not exceed the per credit hour rate calculated from the academic year tuition levels adopted under this act.

(5) Community colleges may increase services and activities fee charges in excess of the fiscal growth factor up to the maximum level authorized in RCW 28B.15.069.

(6) Each institution receiving appropriations under sections 604 through 609 of this act shall submit a biennial plan to achieve measurable and specific improvements each academic year as part of a continuing effort to make meaningful and substantial progress towards the achievement of the following long-term performance goals:

Goal

(a) Undergraduate graduation efficiency index: A

measure of how efficiently students complete

their degrees that takes into consideration the

total number of credits earned, dropped, repeated,

transferred and required for graduation:

For students beginning as freshmen 95%

For transfer students 90%

(b) Undergraduate student retention: Defined as

a percentage of all undergraduate students who

return for the next year at the same institution,

measured from fall to fall:

Research universities 95%

Comprehensive universities and college 90%

of an entering freshman class at each institution

that graduates within five years:

Research universities 65%

Comprehensive universities and college 55%

The plans, to be prepared at the direction of the higher education coordinating board, shall be submitted by August 15, 1999. The higher education coordinating board shall set biennial performance targets for each institution and shall review actual achievements annually. Institutions shall track their actual performance on the state-wide measures as well as faculty productivity, the goals and targets for which may be unique to each institution. A report on progress towards state-wide and institution-specific goals, with recommendations for the ensuing biennium, shall be submitted to the fiscal and higher education committees of the legislature by November 15, 2000.

(7) The state board for community and technical colleges shall develop a biennial plan to achieve measurable and specific improvements each academic year as part of a continuing effort to make meaningful and substantial progress to achieve the following long-term performance goals:

Goal

(a) Academic students prepared to transfer

to baccalaureate institutions based on minimum

transferrable credit hours and minimum required

grade point average. 50,000 per year

(b) Basic skill students who demonstrate

substantive skill gain as a result of their

adult basic education (ABE), English as a second

language (ESL), and general education diploma

(GED) instruction. 80%

by vocational degrees and related certificates

awarded, including achievement of industry

skill standards. 25,000 per year

The board shall set biennial performance targets for each college or district, where appropriate, and shall review actual achievements annually. Colleges shall track their actual performance on the state-wide measures. A report on progress towards the state-wide goals, with recommendations for the ensuing biennium, shall be submitted to the fiscal and higher education committees of the legislature by November 15, 2000.

(8) Institutions receiving appropriations under sections 603 through 609 of this act shall provide enrollment data for students engaged in distance learning to the office of financial management as part of the distance learning enrollment information project.

Sec. 2. 1999 c 309 s 723 (uncodified) is amended to read as follows:

SALARY COST OF LIVING ADJUSTMENT

General Fund‑-State Appropriation (FY 2000).... $ 33,614,000

General Fund‑-State Appropriation (FY 2001).... $ ((~~68,186,000~~))

50,396,000

General Fund‑-Federal Appropriation............. $.................................. ((~~31,436,000~~))

25,956,000

General Fund‑-Private/Local Appropriation...... $ ((~~2,001,000~~))

1,631,000

Salary and Insurance Increase Revolving Account

Appropriation.............................. $ ((~~72,609,000~~))

59,944,000

TOTAL APPROPRIATION................. $ ((~~207,846,000~~))

171,541,000

The appropriations in this section shall be expended solely for the purposes designated in this section and are subject to the following conditions and limitations:

(1) In addition to the purposes set forth in subsections (2) and (3) of this section, appropriations in this section are provided solely for a 3.0 percent salary increase effective July 1, 1999, and a 3.0 percent salary increase effective July 1, 2000, for all classified employees, including those employees in the Washington management service, and exempt employees under the jurisdiction of the personnel resources board. The July 1, 2000, salary increase under this subsection shall not be granted to any employee who is compensated on June 30, 2000, at an annual rate that exceeds $40,000.

(2) The appropriations in this section are sufficient to fund a 3.0 percent salary increase effective July 1, 1999, and a 3.0 percent increase effective July 1, 2000, for general government, legislative, and judicial employees exempt from merit system rules whose maximum salaries are not set by the commission on salaries for elected officials. The July 1, 2000, salary increase under this subsection shall not be granted to any employee who is compensated on June 30, 2000, at an annual rate that exceeds $40,000.

(3) The salary and insurance increase revolving account appropriation in this section includes funds sufficient to fund a 3.0 percent salary increase effective July 1, 1999, and a 3.0 percent salary increase effective July 1, 2000, for ferry workers consistent with the 1999-01 transportation appropriations act. The July 1, 2000, salary increase under this subsection shall not be granted to any employee who is compensated on June 30, 2000, at an annual rate that exceeds $40,000.

(4)(a) No salary increase may be paid under this section to any person whose salary has been Y-rated pursuant to rules adopted by the personnel resources board.

(b) The average salary increases paid under this section and section 724 of this act to agency officials whose maximum salaries are established by the committee on agency official salaries shall not exceed the average increases provided by subsection (2) of this section.

(5) The appropriations in this section include $1,498,000 general fund‑-state for fiscal year 2000, $1,765,000 general fund‑-state for fiscal year 2001, and a reduction of $3,263,000 general fund‑-federal for the department of social and health services to adjust employer pension funding levels to reflect historical fund source ratios.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 3. This act is necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, or safety, or support of the state government and its existing public institutions, and takes effect immediately.