Bill Summary – FastDemocracy

S-0834.1
                                 SENATE BILL 5566
     State of Washington         68th Legislature      2023 Regular Session
     By Senators Shewmake, Randall, Wellman, Saldaña, Liias,        Hasegawa,
     Hunt, Nguyen, Nobles, Trudeau, Valdez, and C. Wilson
     Read first time 01/25/23.    Referred to Committee on Higher Education
     & Workforce Development.
      AN   ACT  Relating   to  the   student  basic needs  at  public
  postsecondary institutions act; adding a new section to chapter
  28B.10 RCW; adding new sections to chapter 28B.50 RCW; creating new
  sections; and providing an expiration date.
  BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
     NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. A new section is added to chapter 28B.10
 RCW to read as follows:
     (1) By the beginning of the 2023-24 academic year, institutions
 of higher education shall each establish a student basic needs task
 force comprised of staff and faculty, student representatives, and
 community organizations with expertise in accessing basic needs. Each
 task force shall develop a hunger-free campus strategic plan for its
 campus beginning no later than April 1, 2024. Each strategic plan
 must:
     (a) By the beginning of the 2023-24 academic year and every year
 thereafter, collect and disseminate results of a student survey
 developed by the state board for community and technical colleges and
 the student achievement council to assess food security, housing
 security, and access to basic economic supports;
     (b) Analyze gaps in student basic needs in the student body and
 institution;
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     (c) If none exists, design a benefits resource hub to assist
 students   with  accessing   public   benefits,  emergency   financial
 assistance such as those created under RCW 28B.50.295, and other
 community resources using a minimum of one full-time navigator;
     (d) Hire full-time benefits navigators to assist students in
 accessing public benefits and existing emergency assistance programs
 such as those funded by RCW 28B.50.295;
     (e) Ensure access to a campus food pantry for students;
     (f) Establish and update methods to identify likely low-income
 and food-insecure students and conduct communications and outreach
 methods by the institution to promote opportunities for benefits
 assistance (such as basic food enrollment, working connections child
 care enrollment, referrals to the special supplemental nutrition
 program for women, infants, and children, affordable housing
 assistance) and emergency financial resources;
     (g) Assess the needs and advantages of their benefits navigator
 model; and
     (h) Identify opportunities for the institution and partnerships
 with community-based organizations to holistically support students'
 basic needs, access to benefits and community resources.
     (2) Each annual plan must include at least two activities to
 implement into the strategic plan.
     (3) Institutions of higher education shall each provide a brief
 written report from their respective student basic needs task forces
 to the student achievement council and the state board for community
 and technical colleges by the end of the 2023-24 academic year and
 every subsequent year. Each report must include findings and
 activities from the strategic plan and be published online in an
 easily accessible location.
     (4) The definitions in this subsection apply throughout this
 section unless the context clearly requires otherwise.
     (a) "Benefits navigator" means an individual who is employed by
 an institution of higher education for the purpose of helping
 students seek, apply for, and receive assistance from benefits
 programs, emergency resources, and community resources.
     (b) "Benefits resource hub" means a single location on campus
 where students are directed to get assistance from a benefits
 navigator to understand what basic needs benefits they may be
 eligible for and receive assistance in applications, enrollment, and
 removing barriers to receive support services.
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      (c) "Institutions of higher education" means institutions as
  defined in RCW 28B.10.016, university campuses created under chapter
  28B.45 RCW, and tribal institutions of higher education operated by
  an Indian tribe as defined in RCW 43.376.010.
      (d) "Student basic needs" means food, water, nutrition, shelter,
  clothing, physical health, mental health, child care, or similar
  needs that students enrolled at an institution of higher education
  may face difficulty with and that hinders their ability to begin or
  continue their enrollment.
     NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. A new section is added to chapter 28B.50
 RCW to read as follows:
     (1) Subject to the availability of amounts appropriated for this
 specific purpose, the state board for community and technical
 colleges and the student achievement council shall convene a
 postsecondary basic needs work group. The purpose of the work group
 is to learn from the experiences of students and local institutions
 of higher education. The work group shall:
     (a)   Develop  budgetary   and   administrative  policy   in   the
 administration of the work group;
     (b) Coordinate with and provide technical assistance to student
 basic needs task forces at institutions of higher education;
     (c) By the beginning of the 2023-24 academic year and every year
 thereafter, coordinate the collection of a student survey data that
 measures the basic needs of students and disseminate survey results;
     (d) Identify how many full-time benefits navigators are necessary
 to adequately assist an institution's student population;
     (e) Facilitate discussions and generate recommendations amongst
 relevant stakeholders on the basic needs of Washington's higher
 education student population;
     (f) Assess the distribution of state funds for basic needs
 support provided to institutions of higher education and university
 campuses;
     (g) Assess how effectively funds of institutions of higher
 education are meeting students' basic needs;
     (h) Issue biennial recommendations, beginning January 1, 2025,
 regarding strategies to address students' basic needs to the
 appropriate committees of the legislature in accordance with RCW
 43.01.036; and
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     (i) Support a collaborative partnership with not-for-profit
 organization(s) with expertise in student basic needs programs, or
 benefits navigation to provide ongoing technical assistance and
 training.
     (2) The definitions in this subsection apply throughout this
 section unless the context clearly requires otherwise.
     (a) "Benefits navigator" means an individual who is employed by
 an institution of higher education for the purpose of helping
 students seek, apply for, and receive assistance from benefits
 programs, emergency resources, and community resources.
     (b) "Institutions of higher education" means institutions as
 defined in RCW 28B.10.016, university campuses created under chapter
 28B.45 RCW, and tribal institutions of higher education operated by
 an Indian tribe as defined in RCW 43.376.010.
     (c) "Student basic needs" means food, water, nutrition, shelter,
 clothing, physical health, mental health, child care, or similar
 needs that students enrolled at an institution of higher education
 may face difficulty with and that hinders their ability to begin or
 continue their enrollment.
     NEW SECTION. Sec. 3. A new section is added to chapter 28B.50
 RCW to read as follows:
     (1) Subject to the availability of amounts appropriated for this
 specific purpose, the state board for community and technical
 colleges and the student achievement council shall:
     (a) Design and implement a benefits navigator grant program to
 provide funding to institutions of higher education to be used in the
 implementation of duties established under section 1 of this act;
     (b) Where applicable, maximize use of the basic food education
 and training program to fund navigators and maximize federal funds to
 help low-income students meet their basic needs; and
     (c) Review applications for the benefits navigator grant program
 and select institutions of higher education to receive the grant
 using objective criteria included within the application and online
 in an easily accessible location.
     (2) The definitions in this subsection apply throughout this
 section unless the context clearly requires otherwise.
     (a) "Benefits navigator" means an individual who is employed by
 an institution of higher education for the purpose of helping
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 students seek, apply for, and receive assistance from benefits
 programs, emergency resources, and community resources.
     (b) "Institutions of higher education" means institutions as
 defined in RCW 28B.10.016, university campuses created under chapter
 28B.45 RCW, and tribal institutions of higher education operated by
 an Indian tribe as defined in RCW 43.376.010.
     (c) "Student basic needs" means food, water, nutrition, shelter,
 clothing, physical health, mental health, child care, or similar
 needs that students enrolled at an institution of higher education
 may face difficulty with and that hinders their ability to begin or
 continue their enrollment.
     NEW SECTION. Sec. 4. (1) Subject to the availability of amounts
 appropriated for this specific purpose, the college board shall
 select four college districts, two on each side of the crest of the
 Cascade mountains, to participate in a pilot program to provide free
 and low-cost meal plans or food vouchers to eligible low-income
 students.
     (2) The pilot program expires July 1, 2025.
     (3) This section expires January 1, 2026.
     NEW SECTION. Sec. 5. (1) Subject to the availability of amounts
 appropriated for this specific purpose, the council shall select two
 public four-year institutions of higher education, one on each side
 of the crest of the Cascade mountains, to participate in a pilot
 program to provide free and low-cost meal plans or food vouchers to
 eligible low-income students.
     (2) The pilot program expires July 1, 2025.
     (3) This section expires January 1, 2026.
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