SENATE BILL REPORT
ESB 5534
As Passed Senate, March 7, 2023
Title: An act relating to workforce education investment accountability and oversight board staffing changes.
Brief Description: Concerning workforce education investment accountability and oversight board staffing changes.
Sponsors: Senators Randall, Holy, Nobles and Wellman.
Brief History:
Committee Activity: Higher Education & Workforce Development: 2/08/23, 2/15/23 [DP-WM].
Ways & Means: 2/20/23, 2/23/23 [DP, w/oRec].
Floor Activity: Passed Senate: 3/7/23, 48-0.
Brief Summary of Engrossed Bill
  • Modifies staffing of the Workforce Education Investment Accountability and Oversight Board (WEIAOB) to the Washington Student Achievement Council.Adds a representative of the Workforce Training and Education Coordinating Board to WEIAOB and allows them to maintain WEIAOB data dashboard.
SENATE COMMITTEE ON HIGHER EDUCATION & WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT
Majority Report: Do pass and be referred to Committee on Ways & Means.
Signed by Senators Randall, Chair; Nobles, Vice Chair; Holy, Ranking Member; Hawkins and Liias.
Staff: Alicia Kinne-Clawson (786-7407)
SENATE COMMITTEE ON WAYS & MEANS
Majority Report: Do pass.
Signed by Senators Rolfes, Chair; Robinson, Vice Chair, Operating & Revenue; Mullet, Vice Chair, Capital; Wilson, L., Ranking Member, Operating; Gildon, Assistant Ranking Member, Operating; Rivers, Assistant Ranking Member, Capital; Warnick, Assistant Ranking Member, Capital; Billig, Boehnke, Braun, Conway, Dhingra, Hasegawa, Hunt, Keiser, Nguyen, Pedersen, Saldaña, Torres, Van De Wege, Wagoner and Wellman.
Minority Report: That it be referred without recommendation.
Signed by Senators Schoesler, Ranking Member, Capital; Muzzall.
Staff: Michele Alishahi (786-7433)
Background:

The Legislature passed ESSHB 2158 in 2019, known as the Workforce Education Investment Act (WEIA). WEIA established the Workforce Education Investment Account that is funded from an increase in the business and occupation tax. As a part of WEIA, the Workforce Education Investment Accountability and Oversight Board (WEIAOB) was established for two purposes:

  • to provide guidance and recommendations to the Legislature on which workforce education priorities should be funded from the Workforce Education Investment Account; and
  • to ensure accountability that the investments funded from the Workforce Education Investment Account are producing the intended results and effectively increasing student success and career readiness.

 
WEIAOB has 17 members, including legislators and representatives from businesses impacted by the tax, higher education, labor, and students. WEIAOB is staffed by the Workforce Training and Education Coordinating Board (Workforce Board) and is required to meet four times a year.
Summary of Engrossed Bill:

The Student Achievement Council is tasked with staffing WEIAOB. The Workforce Board must maintain WEIAO data dashboard on a public-facing portal.

 

Membership on WEIAOB is modified to include a representative of the Workforce Training and Education Coordinating Board.
Appropriation: None.
Fiscal Note: Available.
Creates Committee/Commission/Task Force that includes Legislative members: No.
Effective Date: Ninety days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.
Staff Summary of Public Testimony (Higher Education & Workforce Development):

PRO: Since the WEIA account is focused on higher education and WSAC is the state agency charged with coordination of higher education policy, it would be appropriate for WSAC to have the staffing role moving forward. The oversight board should be recommending additional higher education investments in a more coordinated way. This is an efficient policy change ensuring the stakeholders involved in overseeing the Workforce Education Investment Act can do the work of stewarding resources, getting them to students, and ensuring that we are educating the pipeline of students to fill the workforce.
Persons Testifying (Higher Education & Workforce Development): PRO: Senator Emily Randall, Prime Sponsor; Neil Strege, Washington Roundtable.
Persons Signed In To Testify But Not Testifying (Higher Education & Workforce Development): No one.
Staff Summary of Public Testimony (Ways & Means):

None.
Persons Testifying (Ways & Means): No one.
Persons Signed In To Testify But Not Testifying (Ways & Means): No one.