Workforce board admin.

AN ACT Relating to workforce education investment accountability 1
and oversight board administrative changes; and amending RCW 2
28B.77.310. 3
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:4
Sec. 1. RCW 28B.77.310 and 2023 c 282 s 1 are each amended to 5
read as follows: 6
(1) The workforce education investment accountability and 7
oversight board is established. The board consists of 18 members, as 8
provided in this subsection: 9
(a) Four members of the legislature consisting of the chairs and 10
ranking minority members of the respective higher education and 11
workforce development committees of the senate and house of 12
representatives, ex officio; and 13
(b) The following members appointed by the governor with the 14
consent of the senate: 15
(i) Five members representing the businesses described in RCW 16
82.04.299 or subject to the tax rate under RCW 82.04.290(2)(a)(i);17
(ii) Two members representing labor organizations, one of which 18
must have expertise in registered apprenticeships and training a 19
high-demand workforce and one of which must represent faculty at the 20
four-year institutions of higher education; 21
Z-0552.1
HOUSE BILL 2311
State of Washington 69th Legislature 2026 Regular Session
By Representatives Ybarra, Paul, Zahn, and Salahuddin; by request of
Student Achievement Council
Prefiled 01/07/26. Read first time 01/12/26. Referred to Committee
on Postsecondary Education & Workforce.
p. 1 HB 2311
(iii) Two members representing the institutions of higher 1
education, as defined in RCW 28B.10.016, one of which must be from 2
the four-year sector and one of which must be from the community and 3
technical college sector; 4
(iv) Two members representing students, one of which must be a 5
community and technical college student; 6
(v) One member representing the independent, not-for-profit 7
higher education institutions; 8
(vi) One member representing the workforce training and education 9
coordinating board created under RCW 28C.18.020; and10
(vii) One member representing the student achievement council, 11
established under this chapter. 12
(2) Except for ex officio and student members, board members 13
shall hold their offices for a term of three years until their 14
successors are appointed. Student board members shall hold one-year 15
terms. 16
(3) The board shall have two cochairs. One cochair shall be one 17
of the chairs of the respective higher education and workforce 18
development committees of the legislature and the other cochair shall 19
be one of the board members representing the businesses described in 20
RCW 82.04.299 or subject to the tax rate under RCW 21
82.04.290(2)(a)(i). The cochairs shall hold the position for a ((one-22
year)) two-year term. The board members shall elect the cochairs 23
((annually)) biennially. 24
(4) Nine voting members of the board constitute a quorum for the 25
transaction of business. The board shall meet at least four times a 26
year. 27
(5) Staff support for the board shall be provided by the student 28
achievement council established in this chapter. 29
(6) The purposes of the board are to: 30
(a) Provide guidance and recommendations to the legislature on 31
what workforce education priorities should be funded with the 32
workforce education investment account; and 33
(b) Ensure accountability that the workforce education 34
investments funded with the workforce education investment account 35
are producing the intended results and are effectively increasing 36
student success and career readiness, such as by increasing 37
retention, completion, and job placement rates. 38
(7) The board shall consult data from the education data center 39
established under RCW 43.41.400 and the ((workforce training and 40
p. 2 HB 2311
education coordinating board )) student achievement council 1
established under this chapter when reviewing and determining whether 2
workforce education investments funded from the workforce education 3
investment account are effectively increasing student success and 4
career readiness. ((The workforce training and education coordinating 5
board shall maintain the workforce education investment 6
accountability and oversight board data dashboard on a public-facing 7
portal and work with the board to update and modify the data 8
dashboard as new performance metrics are identified.))9
(8) The board shall report its recommendations to the appropriate 10
committees of the legislature by ((August 1st)) December 31st of each 11
year. 12
(9) For the purposes of this section, "board" means the workforce 13
education investment accountability and oversight board established 14
in this section. 15
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p. 3 HB 2311