BILL REQ. #:  H-0581.1 

Read first time 01/10/2007.   Referred to Committee on Community & Economic Development & Trade.

     AN ACT Relating to creating postsecondary opportunity programs; amending RCW 28B.50.030; adding new sections to chapter 28B.50 RCW; creating new sections; and declaring an emergency.

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

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1   The legislature finds that:
     (1) The economic trends of globalization and technological change are increasing the demand for higher and differently skilled workers than in the past;
     (2) Increasing Washington's economic competitiveness requires increasing the supply of skilled workers in the state;
     (3) Improving the labor market competitiveness of all Washington residents requires that all residents have access to postsecondary education; and
     (4) Community and technical college workforce training programs and Washington state apprenticeship and training council-approved apprenticeship programs provide effective and efficient pathways for people to enter high wage, high skill careers while also meeting the needs of the economy.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 101   A new section is added to chapter 28B.50 RCW to read as follows:
     (1) The college board shall develop and implement a workforce education program known as the opportunity grant program to provide funding for students enrolled at qualified institutions of higher education in opportunity grant-eligible programs of study as described in section 201 of this act. Students enrolled in the opportunity grant program are eligible for:
     (a) Funding for tuition and mandatory fees at the public community and technical college rate, prorated if the credit load is less than full time, paid directly to the educational institution; and
     (b) An additional one thousand dollars per academic year for books, tools, and supplies, prorated if the credit load is less than full time.
     (2) Funding under subsection (1)(a) and (b) of this section is limited to a maximum forty-five credits in an opportunity grant-eligible program of study, including required related courses. No student may receive opportunity grant funding for more than forty-five credits or for more than three years from initial receipt of grant funds in one or a combination of programs.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 102   A new section is added to chapter 28B.50 RCW to read as follows:
     (1) To be eligible for participation in the opportunity grant program established in section 101 of this act, a student must:
     (a) Be a Washington resident student as defined in RCW 28B.15.012 enrolled in an opportunity grant-eligible program of study; and
     (b)(i) Be enrolled on or after January 1, 2008, but before January 1, 2010, and have a family income that is at or below two hundred percent of the federal poverty level using the most current guidelines available from the United States department of health and human services;
     (ii) Be enrolled on or after January 1, 2010, but before January 1, 2012, and have a family income that is at or below the state median family income using the state need grant schedule for the same academic year; or
     (iii) Be enrolled in a qualified institution of higher education on or after January 1, 2012.
     (2) Upon enrolling, the student must provide evidence of commitment to complete the program. The student must make satisfactory progress and maintain a cumulative 2.0 grade point average for continued eligibility. If a student's cumulative grade point average falls below 2.0, the student may petition the institution of higher education of attendance. The qualified institution of higher education has the authority to establish a probationary period until such time as the student's grade point average reaches required standards.
     (3) Subject to funds appropriated for this specific purpose, qualified institutions of higher education shall receive an enhancement of one thousand five hundred dollars for each full-time equivalent student enrolled in the opportunity grant program whose income is below two hundred percent of the federal poverty level. The funds shall be used for individualized support services which may include, but are not limited to, college and career advising, tutoring, emergency child care, and emergency transportation. The qualified institution of higher education is expected to help students access all financial resources and support services available to them through alternative sources.
     (4) The college board shall be accountable for student retention and completion of opportunity grant-eligible programs of study. It shall set annual performance measures and targets and monitor the performance at all qualified institutions of higher education. The college board must reduce funding at institutions of higher education that do not meet targets for two consecutive years, based on criteria developed by the college board.
     (5) The college board and higher education coordinating board shall work together to ensure that students participating in the opportunity grant program:
     (a) Receive all other state and federal financial aid to which they are entitled while receiving an opportunity grant; and
     (b) Receive priority for state and federal financial aid when pursuing a subsequent related credential, certificate, or degree at a two or four-year institution of higher education, after completing the opportunity grant program.
     (6) The college board and higher education coordinating board shall document the amount of opportunity grant assistance and the types and amounts of other sources of financial aid received by participating students. Annually, they shall produce a summary of the data.
     (7) The college board shall:
     (a) Begin developing the program no later than July 1, 2007, with student enrollment to begin no later than January 14, 2008; and
     (b) Submit a progress report to the legislature by December 1, 2008.
     (8) The college board may, in implementing the opportunity grant program, accept, use, and expend or dispose of contributions of money, services, and property. All such moneys received by the college board for the program must be deposited in an account at a depository approved by the state treasurer. Only the college board or a duly authorized representative thereof may authorize expenditures from this account. In order to maintain an effective expenditure and revenue control, the account is subject in all respects to chapter 43.88 RCW, but no appropriation is required to permit expenditure of moneys in the account.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 201   A new section is added to chapter 28B.50 RCW to read as follows:
     The college board, in partnership with business, labor, and the workforce training and education coordinating board, shall:
     (1) Identify job specific training programs offered by qualified postsecondary institutions that lead to a credential, certificate, or degree in high demand occupations, which are occupations where employer demand for workers exceeds the supply of qualified job applicants throughout the state or in a specific region;
     (2) Gain recognition of the credentials, certificates, and degrees by Washington's employers and labor organizations. The college board shall designate these recognized credentials, certificates, and degrees as "opportunity grant-eligible programs of study"; and
     (3) Market the credentials, certificates, and degrees to potential students, businesses, and apprenticeship programs as a way for individuals to advance in their careers and to better meet the needs of industry.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 202   A new section is added to chapter 28B.50 RCW to read as follows:
     (1) Community and technical colleges shall partner with local workforce development councils to develop the opportunity partnership program. The opportunity partnership program may be newly developed or part of an existing program, and shall provide mentoring to students participating in the opportunity grant program. The program must develop criteria and identify opportunity grant students who would benefit by having a mentor. Each participating student shall be matched with a business or labor mentor employed in the field in which the student is interested. The mentor shall help the student explore careers and employment options through any combination of tours, informational interviews, job shadowing, and internships.
     (2) Subject to funds appropriated for this specific purpose, the workforce training and education coordinating board shall create the opportunity partnership program. The board, in partnership with business, labor, and the college board, shall determine the criteria for the distribution of funds.
     (3) The board may, in implementing this section, accept, use, and dispose of contributions of money, services, and property. All moneys received by the board for the purposes of this section must be deposited in a depository approved by the state treasurer. Only the board or a duly authorized representative thereof may authorize expenditures from this account. In order to maintain an effective expenditure and revenue control, the account is subject in all respects to chapter 43.88 RCW, but no appropriation is required to permit expenditure of moneys in the account.

Sec. 301   RCW 28B.50.030 and 2005 c 258 s 8 are each amended to read as follows:
     As used in this chapter, unless the context requires otherwise, the term:
     (1) "System" shall mean the state system of community and technical colleges, which shall be a system of higher education.
     (2) "Board" shall mean the work force training and education coordinating board.
     (3) "College board" shall mean the state board for community and technical colleges created by this chapter.
     (4) "Director" shall mean the administrative director for the state system of community and technical colleges.
     (5) "District" shall mean any one of the community and technical college districts created by this chapter.
     (6) "Board of trustees" shall mean the local community and technical college board of trustees established for each college district within the state.
     (7) "Occupational education" shall mean that education or training that will prepare a student for employment that does not require a baccalaureate degree, and education and training leading to an applied baccalaureate degree.
     (8) "K-12 system" shall mean the public school program including kindergarten through the twelfth grade.
     (9) "Common school board" shall mean a public school district board of directors.
     (10) "Community college" shall include those higher education institutions that conduct education programs under RCW 28B.50.020.
     (11) "Technical college" shall include those higher education institutions with the sole mission of conducting occupational education, basic skills, literacy programs, and offering on short notice, when appropriate, programs that meet specific industry needs. The programs of technical colleges shall include, but not be limited to, continuous enrollment, competency-based instruction, industry-experienced faculty, curriculum integrating vocational and basic skills education, and curriculum approved by representatives of employers and labor. For purposes of this chapter, technical colleges shall include Lake Washington Vocational-Technical Institute, Renton Vocational-Technical Institute, Bates Vocational-Technical Institute, Clover Park Vocational Institute, and Bellingham Vocational-Technical Institute.
     (12) "Adult education" shall mean all education or instruction, including academic, vocational education or training, basic skills and literacy training, and "occupational education" provided by public educational institutions, including common school districts for persons who are eighteen years of age and over or who hold a high school diploma or certificate. However, "adult education" shall not include academic education or instruction for persons under twenty-one years of age who do not hold a high school degree or diploma and who are attending a public high school for the sole purpose of obtaining a high school diploma or certificate, nor shall "adult education" include education or instruction provided by any four year public institution of higher education.
     (13) "Dislocated forest product worker" shall mean a forest products worker who: (a)(i) Has been terminated or received notice of termination from employment and is unlikely to return to employment in the individual's principal occupation or previous industry because of a diminishing demand for his or her skills in that occupation or industry; or (ii) is self-employed and has been displaced from his or her business because of the diminishing demand for the business' services or goods; and (b) at the time of last separation from employment, resided in or was employed in a rural natural resources impact area.
     (14) "Forest products worker" shall mean a worker in the forest products industries affected by the reduction of forest fiber enhancement, transportation, or production. The workers included within this definition shall be determined by the employment security department, but shall include workers employed in the industries assigned the major group standard industrial classification codes "24" and "26" and the industries involved in the harvesting and management of logs, transportation of logs and wood products, processing of wood products, and the manufacturing and distribution of wood processing and logging equipment. The commissioner may adopt rules further interpreting these definitions. For the purposes of this subsection, "standard industrial classification code" means the code identified in RCW 50.29.025(3).
     (15) "Dislocated salmon fishing worker" means a finfish products worker who: (a)(i) Has been terminated or received notice of termination from employment and is unlikely to return to employment in the individual's principal occupation or previous industry because of a diminishing demand for his or her skills in that occupation or industry; or (ii) is self-employed and has been displaced from his or her business because of the diminishing demand for the business's services or goods; and (b) at the time of last separation from employment, resided in or was employed in a rural natural resources impact area.
     (16) "Salmon fishing worker" means a worker in the finfish industry affected by 1994 or future salmon disasters. The workers included within this definition shall be determined by the employment security department, but shall include workers employed in the industries involved in the commercial and recreational harvesting of finfish including buying and processing finfish. The commissioner may adopt rules further interpreting these definitions.
     (17) "Rural natural resources impact area" means:
     (a) A nonmetropolitan county, as defined by the 1990 decennial census, that meets three of the five criteria set forth in subsection (18) of this section;
     (b) A nonmetropolitan county with a population of less than forty thousand in the 1990 decennial census, that meets two of the five criteria as set forth in subsection (18) of this section; or
     (c) A nonurbanized area, as defined by the 1990 decennial census, that is located in a metropolitan county that meets three of the five criteria set forth in subsection (18) of this section.
     (18) For the purposes of designating rural natural resources impact areas, the following criteria shall be considered:
     (a) A lumber and wood products employment location quotient at or above the state average;
     (b) A commercial salmon fishing employment location quotient at or above the state average;
     (c) Projected or actual direct lumber and wood products job losses of one hundred positions or more;
     (d) Projected or actual direct commercial salmon fishing job losses of one hundred positions or more; and
     (e) An unemployment rate twenty percent or more above the state average. The counties that meet these criteria shall be determined by the employment security department for the most recent year for which data is available. For the purposes of administration of programs under this chapter, the United States post office five-digit zip code delivery areas will be used to determine residence status for eligibility purposes. For the purpose of this definition, a zip code delivery area of which any part is ten miles or more from an urbanized area is considered nonurbanized. A zip code totally surrounded by zip codes qualifying as nonurbanized under this definition is also considered nonurbanized. The office of financial management shall make available a zip code listing of the areas to all agencies and organizations providing services under this chapter.
     (19) "Applied baccalaureate degree" means a baccalaureate degree awarded by a college under RCW 28B.50.810 for successful completion of a program of study that is:
     (a) Specifically designed for individuals who hold an associate of applied science degree, or its equivalent, in order to maximize application of their technical course credits toward the baccalaureate degree; and
     (b) Based on a curriculum that incorporates both theoretical and applied knowledge and skills in a specific technical field.
     (20) "Qualified institutions of higher education" means:
     (a) Washington public community and technical colleges; and
     (b) Private career schools that are members of an accrediting association recognized by rule of the higher education coordinating board for the purposes of chapter 28B.92 RCW.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 302   Part headings used in this act are not any part of the law.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 303   Section 101 of 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.