The 2014 session of the legislature got off to a fast start this week when the House moved the Washington State Dream Act from the Rules Committee to the floor for a vote on Jan. 13. They then moved the differential tuition bill to the floor calendar on Tuesday.

House Bill 1817, Adding eligibility criteria for higher education financial aid. Passed the House on Jan. 13 by a vote of 71-23.

Known as the “Washington State Dream Act,” this bill provides eligibility for the State Needs Grant for individuals with Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival. The bill would allow access to financial aid for state college students who were illegally brought to the United States as children. House Bill 1817 passed the House during the 2013 session by a vote of 77-20, but did not see action in the Senate.

Voted yes in the 46th District: Rep. Jessyn Farrell and Rep. Gerry Pollet.

House Bill 1043, Limiting differential tuition. Passed the House on Jan. 17 by a vote of 90-2.

This bill removes the authority of the state four-year colleges and Community and Technical colleges to set different tuition rates for selected resident undergraduate programs. Under their current tuition-setting authority, some state institutions charge higher tuition for high-demand programs such has Sciene, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM).Proponents of the bill say that charging more tuition for such programs reduces the likelihood of students choosing these programs. The House passed this bill during the 2013 session by a vote of 95-1, but it did not see action in the Senate.

Voted yes in the 46th District: Rep. Jessyn Farrell and Rep. Gerry Pollet.

SOURCE: WashingtonVotes.org, a free, non-partisan website to find plain-English explanations of bills and a record of each legislator’s votes. Do you want to know more about your government? Visit www.WashingtonVotes.org today.