HOUSE BILL REPORT
EHB 2841
As Passed Legislature
Title: An act relating to the appointment of a student member to the higher education coordinating board.
Brief Description: Requiring a student member on the higher education coordinating board.
Sponsors: By Representatives Chase, Cox, Kenney, Jarrett, Fromhold, Lysen, Edwards, Upthegrove, Rockefeller, Haigh, Esser and McDermott.
Brief History:
Committee Activity:
Higher Education: 2/8/02 [DP].
Floor Activity:
Passed House: 2/15/02, 94-4.
Senate Amended.
Passed Senate: 3/5/02, 42-5.
House Concurred.
Passed House: 3/9/02, 94-0.
Passed Legislature.
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Brief Summary of Engrossed Bill |
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$The membership of the Higher Education Coordinating Board is increased from nine members to 10. At lest one member of the board must be a student. The student member is appointed for a one-year term.
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HOUSE COMMITTEE ON HIGHER EDUCATION
Majority Report: Do pass. Signed by 9 members: Representatives Kenney, Chair; Fromhold, Vice Chair; Cox, Ranking Minority Member; Chase, Dunn, Gombosky, Jarrett, Lantz and Skinner.
Staff: Antonio Sanchez (786‑7383).
Background:
The Higher Education Coordinating Board (HECB) was created by the Legislature in 1985 and came into being in January 1986 as the successor agency to the Council for Post Secondary Education.
Composition: The board is made up of nine citizen members, appointed by the Governor and confirmed by the Senate. Board members serve four‑year terms and may be reappointed for a total of two terms. The board chair serves at the pleasure of the Governor.
Principal Functions: The purpose of the board is to provide planning, coordination, monitoring, and policy analysis for higher education in the state of Washington in cooperation and consultation with the institutions autonomous governing boards and with all other segments of post secondary education, including, but not limited to, the State Board for Community College Education and the Commission for Vocational Education.
In addition to developing the state's higher education Master Plan, the board has been assigned other significant policy studies by the Legislature. Other HECB responsibilities include branch campus land acquisition and planning coordination; monitoring/coordination of assessment activities; health professions resource planning; distinguished professorship endowments and graduate fellowship endowments programs; and involvement with the planning and coordination of the K‑20 telecommunications network.
State Financial Aid: Chief among the operational programs administered by the board is state financial aid program for students attending public and independent higher education institutions. The HECB‑administered financial aid programs include the following: State Need Grant, State Work Study, Educational Opportunity Grant, Washington Award for Vocational Excellence, Washington Scholars, American Indian Endowed Scholarship, Health Professional Loan Repayment and Scholarship Program, Community Scholarships Matching Grants, Paul Fowler Scholarship, Christa McAuliffe Award for Excellence, Aid to Blind Students, and Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education Scholarships.
Summary of Engrossed Bill:
The current membership of the Higher Education Coordinating Board is increased from nine members to 10 members. At least one of the board members must be a student. The Senate is required to approve the student member. The student member has a one year term starting from the first day of July until his or her successor is appointed.-
Appropriation: None.
Fiscal Note: Not Requested.
Effective Date: Ninety days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.
Testimony For: The students strongly believe that this bill will increase student involvement in higher education. The Council for Post Secondary Education, which has been replaced by the Higher Education Coordinating Board (HECB), had a student member. The HECB has encouraged student participation.
Testimony Against: None.
Testified: Bruce Botka, Higher Education Coordination Board; and Stacey Valentin, Washington State Lobby.