BILL REQ. #:  H-2209.1 

Read first time 02/20/2007.   Referred to Committee on Higher Education.

     AN ACT Relating to defining high demand; and creating a new section.

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

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1   (1) The legislature finds that many agencies and institutions in Washington are directly and indirectly involved in offering postsecondary education, preparing people for employment, and assisting business and industry in accessing a skilled workforce. The legislature also finds that significant amounts of funding are appropriated to these agencies and institutions for the specific focus of meeting needs in high-demand areas. Further, the legislature finds that the agencies and institutions use a variety of different definitions and criteria for determining what is high demand.
     (2) The higher education coordinating board, the state board for community and technical colleges, the office of financial management, the employment security department, and the department of community, trade, and economic development, shall work collaboratively to prepare recommended legislation that includes a statutory definition of high demand for use by the legislature and all agencies and institutions that offer postsecondary education, employment preparation, and workforce-related services to business and industry. The recommendations and proposed legislation shall be submitted in a joint report from all agencies listed in this section to the higher education committees in the house of representatives and senate by November 1, 2007.