News & Updates

It’s day 36 of the 60-day legislative session. UW President Ana Mari Cauce and UW Medicine CEO Tim Dellit were in Olympia today championing the UW’s legislative requests before the House and Senate release their operating and capital budget proposals. The Senate will unveil their proposals first with the House following closely after.

Tomorrow is house of origin cutoff, meaning that bills that do not pass out of the chamber they were introduced in are considered dead unless necessary to implement the budget (NTIB). For those not familiar with Washington’s legislative process, the legislative cycle is two-years and in the first year of the biennium, odd-numbered years, the legislature meets for 105 calendar days to write and pass the state’s two-year operating, capital, and transportation budgets. In the second year of the biennium, even-numbered years, the legislature meets for a short, 60-day session, where they make edits to the budgets passed in the previous session.

In addition to budget work, bills are introduced, debated, and passed during session. The chamber, House of Representatives or Senate, a bill is introduced in is considered its “house of origin.” After a bill is introduced, it’s first referred to a policy, or subject-matter, committee for consideration. For example, legislation introduced in the Senate concerning higher education student support services will be sent to the Senate Higher Education & Workforce Development committee. The policy committee will then hold a public hearing on the bill to get stakeholder input and decide whether or not to vote to move it out of committee. They may pass a bill out of committee as is or choose to amend it. They may also opt not to take any action on a bill.

After legislation moves out of its policy committee, it is referred to a fiscal committee if it impacts one or more of the state’s budgets. In the House, these committees are Appropriations, Capital Budget, Finance, and Transportation. In the Senate, they are Way & Means and Transportation. These committees are led by the state’s budget writers, but the process remains the same as in the policy committees. If a policy is not voted out of its house of origin policy or fiscal committees by specific cutoff dates, it is considered dead unless necessary to implement the budget (NTIB).

From this point, bills are sent to their house of origin Rules Committee, which decides which bills will be considered for floor debate. Members of the committee “pull” bills out of Rules and place them on the floor calendar for consideration by the entire chamber of the House or Senate. They may also choose not to take action on a bill. Essentially, committees act as a funnel; thinning and prioritizing what legislation will continue to move through the process toward becoming law.

Next up is floor action. The floor is where the entire chamber of the House or Senate hear a bill, debate on it, and take a vote. They may also amend legislation being considered. If no action is taken on policy in the Rules Committee or on the floor, the bill is moved to the X-File, where it is no longer eligible for consideration.

Once a bill has passed off the floor, it must go to the opposite chamber and repeat the process. House bills are heard in the Senate and vice versa. If the opposite chamber amends a bill, the house of origin must concur with the changes or work with the opposite chamber to reconcile the different versions of the bill. Ultimately, both chambers must pass the same version of the bill.

When both chambers pass a bill, it is signed by the Speaker of the House and President of the Senate and sent to the Governor’s desk. The Governor then must decide to sign the bill into law or veto all or part of it. If a bill is signed into law, it becomes part of the Revised Code of Washington (RCW).

For questions about the legislative process of the UW’s legislative priorities, contact the Office of State Relations here.

Tomorrow will be the halfway point of session, and today is fiscal committee cutoff. Proposed legislation that impacts the state’s operating, capital, or transportation budgets must be considered in the relevant fiscal committee and be voted out of committee today to stay alive.

Some of the bills relevant to the higher education sector that will continue through the legislative process include:

• House Bill (HB) 2112, concerning opioid and fentanyl prevention education and awareness at institutions of higher education;
• HB 2214, permitting beneficiaries of public assistance programs to automatically qualify as income-eligible for the purpose of receiving the Washington college grant;
• Senate Bill (SB) 5837, codifying the state election database at the UW to publish, evaluate, and analyze certain election data.

For questions about bills or the legislative process, contact the UW Office of State Relations here.

Regional Initiatives in Dental Education (RIDE)

Last week, representatives from the School of Dentistry met with legislators to champion the expansion of the RIDE program located in Spokane, which is at the top of the UW’s legislative agenda.

In their meetings, Dean Andre Ritter, RIDE Director Frank Roberts, RIDE Director of Operations Jennifer Grant, and RIDE student Trevor Bushman shared that the program works to develop dentists who are committed to practicing in Washington’s rural and underserved communities and has proven successful in doing so with more than 80% of students returning to these communities. They also highlighted RIDE’s innovative training model, which immerses students in community-based clinics to gain valuable field experience while providing high quality dental care to areas with access to care challenges.

They finished their meetings by asking for funding to enhance to program by doubling the numbers of students trained from 32 to 64 and adding a second year of curriculum based in Spokane. They received positive feedback on the request.

Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science & Engineering Startup (now Allen Scholars) Program

Ed Lazowska, Bill & Melinda Gates Chair Emeritus of the Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science & Engineering, and Magdalena Balazinska, Director and Bill & Melinda Gates Chair of the Allen School, met with legislators to advocate for permanent funding for the Allen Scholars Program. This request is on the UW’s legislative agenda.

Allen Scholars is a year long cohort-based program that provides academic and holistic supports to students who are first generation, low income, and/or did not have access to advanced high school classes to help them succeed in the Allen School and ultimately, the workforce.

The legislature provided one-time funding for the program in fiscal year 2023 and partial one-time funding in the current biennium (2023-25). The UW request bridges the funding gap in fiscal year 2025 and makes the funding permanent for the program thereafter.

Pictures – Top: Frank Roberts, Jennifer Grant, Dean Andre Ritter, Trevor Bushman; Bottom: Ed Lazowska, Sen. Drew Hansen, Magdalena Balazinska

Yesterday, UW President Ana Mari Cauce came to Olympia for the first time this session to further the University’s legislative agenda. President Cauce met with a variety of lawmakers on the UW’s priorities, including expanding the School of Dentistry’s rural dental education program (RIDE) and providing permanent funding for the Startup Program in the Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science & Engineering. With capital budget leaders, she advocated for funding to design a new Chemical Sciences Building and modernize Bagley Hall and for Climate Commitment Account dollars to support decarbonization projects at all three of UW’s campuses.

She also emphasized the importance of funding UW Medical Center (UWMC) and Harborview Medical Center (HMC), which serve as the safety-net hospitals for the state. Serving the medical and behavioral health needs of Washington residents is more important than ever, especially for those who are most vulnerable. Additionally, UWMC and HMC train the next generation of health care workers, which must be prioritized to ensure the vitality of the state.

After her meetings, President Cauce met with the presidents of Washington’s other public four-year baccalaureate institutions and attended the Council of Presidents legislative reception, where she was able to connect further with elected officials, legislative and gubernatorial staff, and higher education stakeholders.

Thank you President Cauce for your tireless advocacy of the UW!

Pictures – Left: President Ana Mari Cauce, Smokey the Bear, and Senate Higher Education & Workforce Development Chair T’wina Nobles; Right: President Cauce and House Health Care & Wellness Committee Chair Marcus Riccelli

Sen. T’wina Nobles is the new chair of the Higher Education & Workforce Development Committee and today, presided over her first committee meeting as chair. Sen. Emily Randall previously served as chair of the committee.

Sen. Nobles represents the 28^th legislative district, which includes the cities of Fircrest, Lakewood, Steilacoom, Dupont, University Place, Tacoma, Anderson Island, Ketron Island, McNiel Island, as well as Joint Base Lewis McChord. She is a former teacher at Stadium High School and Lincoln High School and since 2016, has served on the University Place School Board. She earned her Master of Arts in Teaching from University of Puget Sound after transferring from Tacoma Community College.

She has served on the Senate higher education committee since she was sworn into office in 2021. She is also the vice chair of the Early Learning & K-12 Education Committee and sits on the Transportation Committee and the Behavioral Health Subcommittee.

To learn more about Sen. Nobles, visit her website here.

Regents and trustees from the state’s two- and four-year higher education institutions traveled to Olympia last week to meet with policymakers to discuss the major opportunities and challenges facing the higher education sector.

During their meetings, they spoke with a unified message about the importance of higher education and highlighted joint priorities, which include:

• Improving awareness and encouraging postsecondary credential attainment by increasing outreach to help students and their families understand the generous financial aid resources available to them.
• Expanding staffing for critical student support programs, including mental health, basic needs, and counseling services.
• Fully funding competitive compensation in the next biennial budget to retain and attract high-quality educators and staff, who provide outreach, instruction, and supports to students.

The regents and trustees spoke with passion and represented the higher education sector well. We are fortunate to have such dedicated leaders advocating for higher education.

Legislative session began Monday with a UW flag raising led by Governor Jay Inslee to celebrate the Husky football team’s inspiring season. UW Regent Rogelio Riojas joined the celebration and helped raise the flag alongside Governor Inslee, Sen. Javier Valdez, Rep. Chris Corry, and the other Husky faithful in attendance.

After the flag raising, the 2024 legislative session kicked into full gear. Washington State’s budgets are biennial and last year, the legislature decided the 2023-25 operating, capital, and transportation budgets. During this year’s short, 60-day session, legislators will adopt the state’s supplemental budgets, which make minor adjustments to the biennial budgets. The Governor starts the budget process and in mid-December, released his supplemental budget proposals.

Throughout the week, Morgan Hickel and Joe Dacca with the Office of State Relations testified before the House and Senate fiscal committees in support of the Governor’s proposed operating and capital budgets. Both budget proposals include funding for the UW’s top legislative priorities, which are:

• Expansion of the UW School of Dentistry Regional Initiatives in Dental Education (RIDE) program;
• Support for the Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science & Engineering Scholars (formerly Startup) Program;
• Design funding for a new Chemical Sciences Building and modernization of Bagley Hall, and;
• Climate Commitment Act funding for energy renewal projects on all three UW campuses, as well as UW Medicine-Montlake and -Northwest.

On Wednesday, College of Arts & Sciences Dean Dianne Harris and Department of Chemistry Chair Munira Khalil traveled to Olympia to meet with capital budget leaders to advocate for the funding to design and plan for a new Chemical Sciences Building and renovate Bagley Hall. Built in 1937 and 1957, the current facilities are overwhelmed by student demand and program constraints and do not meet the requirements for modern science education and research.

Also on Wednesday, Regent Jay Cunningham participated in a confirmation hearing in the Senate Higher Education & Workforce Development Committee. The members of the UW Board of Regents are appointed by the governor and confirmed by the Senate after a public confirmation hearing and floor vote. At the hearing, Regent Cunningham provided testimony about his background and commitment to service to the UW. The committee then voted to advance his confirmation to the Senate floor for consideration and a vote by all the members.

Next week, the regents and trustees from Washington’s public four-year higher education institutions and community and technical colleges will convene in Olympia to meet with legislators to advocate for improving access to college, expanding critical student support services, supporting faculty and staff, and improving postsecondary credential attainment to ensure Washington’s workforce needs are met.

If you have questions about the UW’s legislative priorities, the legislature, or specific bills, please reach out to the UW Office of State Relations. Stay tuned for updates throughout session.

Pictures – Top: Regent Rogelio Riojas & Gov. Jay Inslee at the UW flag raising; Bottom Left: Dept. of Chemistry Chair Munira Khalil and College of Arts & Sciences Dean Dianne Harris in front of the Capitol; Bottom Right: Regent Jay Cunningham testifying.