wa-law.org > bill > 2025-26 > HB 2070 > Original Bill
The legislature recognizes that Western Washington University has received the lowest funding on a per-student basis for much of the last three decades. Despite strong enrollment, retention, and graduation rates, students at Western Washington University bear the greatest cost of their education compared with students at other public universities and community and technical colleges in Washington. The legislature finds that Washington has a postsecondary educational attainment crisis, with less than half of graduating high school seniors participating in postsecondary education. The majority, 70 percent, of family-wage jobs in Washington require a bachelor's degree and this trend is projected to continue. Over the next decade, Washington will need nearly 300,000 more workers with bachelor's degrees. The legislature recognizes the important role of regional comprehensive universities in supporting the education of Washington residents and seeks to rectify the historical per-student funding disparity.
Beginning with the 2029-2031 biennium omnibus appropriations act, the legislature shall appropriate to Western Washington University an amount for state funding parity, according to the methodology calculated in subsection (2) of this section.
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The carryforward level funding average from near general fund outlook accounts must be divided by the number of full-time equivalent students from state-supported academic programs for the prior fiscal year for each regional university and state college. The legislature must calculate this ratio at the beginning of every odd-numbered year.
If Western Washington University has the lowest calculated ratio, an appropriation in the omnibus appropriations act must be made that is at least equal to the difference from Western Washington University's ratio and the next lowest regional university or state college.
If the Western Washington University ratio is not the lowest of the regional universities and state college, no appropriation will be made in accordance with this section.
For purposes of this section, the following definitions apply:
"Carryforward level" means a projected expenditure level for each biennial budget before maintenance level changes are made, which is mechanically calculated after each session in an even-numbered year by adjusting current appropriations to be ongoing or one-time based on the previous biennium's enacted budget;
"Regional universities" are those designated in RCW 28B.35.010; and
"State college" means The Evergreen State College in Thurston county.