ByRepresentatives Tarleton, Pollet, Bergquist, Sells, Dolan, Pellicciotti, Frame, Entenman, Stanford, Lovick, Orwall, Appleton, Ryu, Valdez, Goodman, Lekanoff, Macri, Jinkins, Leavitt, Thai, and Wylie

Read first time 01/18/19.Referred to Committee on College & Workforce Development.

AN ACT Relating to creating the reinvesting in our colleges program; adding a new section to chapter 28B.50 RCW; making an appropriation; providing an effective date; and declaring an emergency.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. A new section is added to chapter 28B.50 RCW to read as follows:

(1) The purpose of this section is to provide for the allocation of state funding that the legislature deems necessary to support community and technical colleges in offering the instructional programs under this chapter.

(2) For the 2019-2021 biennium, allocations shall be made in addition to the maintenance level amounts determined by the legislature. For each biennium thereafter, the allocations shall be included in maintenance level funding.

(3) The moneys appropriated to implement this section shall be allocated to the community and technical colleges as follows:

(a) By September 1, 2019, the college board shall create a formula to distribute to each community and technical college moneys provided for use in accordance with subsection (4) of this section. The distribution formula is for allocation purposes only; however, the provisions of subsection (4) of this section still apply.

(b) The use of all moneys must be consistent with the purposes identified in this section. The use of the moneys is a mandatory subject of bargaining between the college and the exclusive collective bargaining representatives in each college.

(4) The funding for community and technical colleges provided by this section are for the following purposes:

(a) To establish an office of diversity, equity, and inclusion and associated activities, or if an office is already established, to enhance the office, to improve equity and diversity. No less than two hundred thousand dollars of moneys appropriated in the 2019-2021 biennium shall be used by each college for this purpose;

(b) To provide additional compensation for faculty and staff who work with incarcerated populations. No less than one million five hundred thousand dollars of moneys appropriated in the 2019-2021 biennium shall be used for this purpose within the community and technical college system;

(c) To fund one hundred twenty-five additional counselor positions across the system at a ratio of no less than one counselor for every nine hundred students for career navigation or other professional counseling services;

(d) To increase compensation to attract and retain faculty and staff, as defined in collective bargaining agreements;

(e) To convert part-time faculty positions to full-time faculty positions, consistent with each college's operating budget and as defined in collective bargaining agreements;

(f) To commit to achieving pay equity in faculty compensation by reducing the gap between compensation for part-time faculty and full-time faculty within a college. No less than fifteen million dollars of the total moneys appropriated in the 2019-2021 biennium to implement this section shall be used for this purpose; and

(g) To provide professional development funding for faculty and staff, including cultural competency training, consistent with each college's operating budget and as defined in collective bargaining agreements.

(5) A community or technical college may not use more than five percent of its allocated amount to satisfy indirect costs for administration and overhead of the moneys allocated.

(6)(a) Each community and technical college shall issue a report to the college board regarding the use of the moneys provided to implement this section.

(b) The report must detail the amount of moneys provided in each of the uses authorized in subsection (4) of this section and the impacts the funding has had on students, staff, and faculty.

(c) The report must include the amount of moneys used to fund additional counselor positions and the counselor-to-student ratio before and after the college was provided moneys for additional counselors.

(d) The report must include the amount of moneys used toward the goal of achieving pay equity in faculty compensation, including the number of part-time faculty positions converted to full-time faculty positions and the number of part-time faculty positions that have been created.

(7) By December 1, 2020, and each December 1st thereafter, the college board shall submit to the appropriate committees of the legislature a compilation and summary of the reports received from each of the community and technical colleges.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. The sum of two hundred fifty million dollars, or as much thereof as may be necessary, is appropriated for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2020, and two hundred fifty million dollars, or as much thereof as may be necessary, is appropriated for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2021, from the general fund to the state board of community and technical colleges for the purposes of this act.

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 July 1, 2019.