H-4480              _______________________________________________

                                           SUBSTITUTE HOUSE BILL NO. 614

                        _______________________________________________

State of Washington                              49th Legislature                              1986 Regular Session

By House Committee on Higher Education (originally sponsored by Representatives Grimm, Prince, Rayburn, Basich, Jacobsen, Miller, Allen, Vander Stoep, Unsoeld, Sommers, McMullen, G. Nelson, K. Wilson, Belcher, D. Nelson, Kremen and Wineberry)

Read first time 2/7/86 and passed to Committee on Rules.

AN ACT Relating to services and activities fees at institutions of higher education; and amending RCW 28B.15.044 and 28B.15.045.

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

        Sec. 1.  Section 1, chapter 80, Laws of 1980 and RCW 28B.15.044 are each amended to read as follows:

          It is the intent of the legislature that students will propose ((initial)) budgetary recommendations for consideration by the college or university administration and governing board to the extent that such budget recommendations are intended to be funded by services and activities fees.  It is also the intent of the legislature that services and activities fee expenditures for programs devoted to political or economic philosophies shall result in the presentation of a spectrum of ideas.

        Sec. 2.  Section 2, chapter 80, Laws of 1980 and RCW 28B.15.045 are each amended to read as follows:

          The boards of trustees and the boards of regents of the respective institutions of higher education shall adopt guidelines governing the establishment and funding of programs supported by services and activities fees.  Such guidelines shall spell out procedures for budgeting and expending services and activities fee revenue.  Any such  guidelines shall be consistent with the following provisions:

          (1) ((Initial)) Responsibility for proposing program priorities and budget levels for that portion of program budgets that derive from services and activities fees shall reside with a services and activities fee committee, on which students shall hold at least a majority of the voting memberships, such student members to be recommended by the student government association or its equivalent.  The chairperson of the services and activities fee committee shall be selected by the members of that committee.  The governing board shall insure that the services and activities fee committee provides an opportunity for all viewpoints to be heard during its consideration of the funding of student programs and activities.

          (2) The services and activities fee committee shall evaluate existing and proposed programs and submit budget recommendations for the expenditure of those services and activities fees with supporting documents to the college or university  ((administration)) governing board.

          (3) The college or university administration ((shall)) may review and publish a written response to the services and activities fee committee recommendations.  This response shall outline areas of difference between the committee recommendations and the administration's proposed budget recommendations.  This response, with supporting documentation, shall be submitted to the services and activities fee committee and the governing board.

          (4) ((The college or university administration,  at the time it submits its proposed budget recommendations for the expenditure of services and activities fees to the governing board, shall also transmit a copy of the services and activities fee committee recommendations along with any supporting documentation originally provided by the committee and a copy of the administration's response to the committee recommendations.))  Before adoption of the final budget the governing board shall address areas of difference between ((the)) any committee recommendations and the administration's budget recommendations presented for adoption by the board.  A student representative of the services and activities fee committee shall be given the opportunity to reasonably address the governing board concerning any such differences.

          (5) Services and activities fees and revenues generated by programs and activities funded by such fees shall be deposited and expended through the office of the chief fiscal officer of the institution.

          (6) Services and activities fees and revenues generated by programs and activities funded by such fees shall be subject to the applicable policies, regulations, and procedures of the institution and the budget and accounting act, chapter 43.88 RCW.

          (7) All information pertaining to services and activities fees budgets shall be made available to interested parties. (8) With the exception of any funds needed for bond covenant obligations, once the budget for expending service and activities fees is approved by the governing board, funds shall not be shifted from funds budgeted for associated students or departmentally related categories until the administration provides written justification to the committee and the governing board, or the governing board gives its express approval.

(9) Any service and activities fees collected which exceed initially budgeted amounts are subject to subsections (1), (2), (3), and (8) of this section.