HOUSE BILL REPORT
HCR 4409
As Reported by House Committee On:
Capital Budget
Brief Description: Creating a joint select committee to review future facilities needs for higher education.
Sponsors: Representatives Alexander, Murray, Kenney, Cox, O'Brien, Schmidt, Hankins, McIntire, Edwards and Esser.
Brief History:
Committee Activity:
Capital Budget: 1/23/02 [DP2S].
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Brief Summary of Second Substitute Bill |
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$Creates a 12 member joint select committee to review the facility needs of higher education, both new facilities and preservation of existing facilities, and report its findings at the 2003 session of the Legislature.
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HOUSE COMMITTEE ON CAPITAL BUDGET
Majority Report: The second substitute bill be substituted therefor and the second substitute bill do pass. Signed by 17 members: Representatives Murray, Chair; McIntire, Vice Chair; Alexander, Ranking Minority Member; Armstrong, Bush, Casada, Chase, Esser, Hankins, Hunt, Lantz, O'Brien, Ogden, Reardon, Schoesler, Veloria and Woods.
Staff: Charlie Gavigan (786‑7340).
Background:
The Higher Education Coordinating Board is charged by the Legislature with coordinating the activities of higher education institutions in Washington and developing and updating a master plan for higher education in Washington. The state master plan for higher education, updated in 2000, expects enrollment in postsecondary education to increase significantly by the year 2010.
The Governor's 2020 Commission on the Future of Postsecondary Education also recommends 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.
Higher education institutions have approximately 44 million square feet of facilities, which is approximately 61 percent of total state-owned facilities. In the 2001-03 biennium, the higher education portion of the Capital Budget is 47 percent of the total authorized debt limit bonds and 26 percent of total new appropriations. Appropriations in the past few biennia have been concentrated in new projects on the main campuses, branch campuses and education centers, and preservation/renewal of existing facilities. Higher education institutions indicate there is a significant backlog of deferred maintenance, renewal and modernization.
Summary of Second Substitute Bill:
A Joint House and Senate Committee on the Future Higher Education Facilities is created to review the higher education enrollment levels in the master plan, review the facility needs for future students, review the preservation needs for higher education facilities, and review the funding options for preservation and additional higher education facilities.
The joint committee consists of six members from the House and six members from the Senate represented equally by the two major caucuses: two members each from the House Capital Budget Committee, House Appropriations Committee, and House Higher Education Committee, four members from the Senate Ways and Means Committee, and two members from the Senate Higher Education Committee. The committee must report its findings and recommendations at the 2003 legislative session.
Second Substitute Bill Compared to Original Bill:
The second substitute bill increases the number of committee members from eight to twelve (incorporates this change made in the first substitute bill in 2001) and makes technical changes including changing the due date of the report from the 2002 session to the 2003 session.
Appropriation: None.
Fiscal Note: Not Requested.
Testimony For: (On 3/2/01 to original bill) This is a very significant issue for higher education in this state. It is important for the state to better understand and address the facility needs of higher education institutions, both new facilities and preservation of existing facilities. The Higher Education Coordinating Board is eager to help in this effort. Enrollment projections are important considerations.
Testimony Against: None.
Testified: Jim Reed and John Fricky, Higher Education Coordinating Board (HECB); and Judy McNichol, Western Washington University.