[Factc] Legislative Update from Arlen

[Smith, Gerard]

Hello FACTC Colleagues,

Please let your constituents know that HB 2158, the House Budget, is heading out of committee to a floor vote next week.   Here are the highlights:


*         Establishes a Legislative Workforce Education Investment Accountability and Oversight Board.

*         Establishes the Washington College Grant Program, the Washington Student Loan

*         Program, and a career connected learning cross-agency work group and grant program.

*         Makes changes to the Working Connections Child Care Program and the Washington State Opportunity Scholarship.

*         Imposes a 20 percent business and occupation (B&O) surcharge on the income from service and other activities of select businesses.

*         Imposes a 33.33 percent B&O surcharge on the income from service and other activities of advanced computing businesses with revenue of more than $25 billion but less than $100 billion.

*         Imposes a 66.66 percent B&O surcharge on the income from service and other activities of advanced computing businesses with revenue of more than $100 billion.

*         Establishes a Workforce Education Investment Account.

The B&O surcharge will generate approximately $390 million in revenue, of which $173 million will be dedicated to the Washington College Grant Program (State Needs Grant). $55 million will be dedicated to funding Guided Pathways at more CTCs, and $60 million will be dedicated to increase faculty compensation, but with some caveats:

            $40 million over the next two years for to increase nurse

educator salaries by 26.5 percent.



$20 million for increasing high-demand program faculty salaries, dictating

that contract negotiations must consider salaries-if practical-that compare to industry

professionals: nurses, information technology, computer science, trades for example.



House Bill 2158 does not include a cost of living allowance, whereas the Senate budget includes an $11 million COLA of 6% to be split over the next two years.



Attached you will find a resolution from the SBCTC supporting HB 2158



Hope you are enjoying spring break,



Gerry


In support of HB 2158
https://app.leg.wa.gov/billsummary?BillNumber=2158&Initiative=false&Year=2019

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