Bill
SB 5402
SB 5402 expands Washington College Grant by widening eligibility for max awards and adding a $500 annual bridge grant for low-income students to cover non-tuition costs.
Status overview
- Bill number: SB 5402 (appears in multiple sessions with different substantive content)
- 2023 version: Introduced 01/16/2023 (Senators Randall, Gildon, Trudeau, Holy, Nobles, Lovick, Kuderer, Nguyen, C. Wilson); referred to Law & Justice; public hearing 02/13/2023. Reintroduced by resolution and retained in present status (01/08/2024).
- 2025 version(s): Introduced 01/21/2025 (Senators Hansen, Chapman, Conway, Dhingra, Hasegawa, Liias, Lovelett, Lovick, Nobles, Riccelli, Shewmake, Slatter, Valdez, C. Wilson). HEWD executive action 02/06/2025 (HEWD majority; 1st substitute adopted), referred to Ways & Means 02/07/2025.
This summary covers the two distinct policy topics carried under SB 5402 in different sessions: (A) law enforcement authority for public transportation benefit areas (2023), and (B) modifications to Washington College Grant eligibility and a new “bridge grant” (2025 substitute).
A. Authorizing public transportation benefit areas (PTBAs) as limited‑authority law enforcement agencies (2023)
- Purpose/intent: To add public transportation benefit areas to Washington law’s definition of “limited authority Washington law enforcement agency.”
- Key provision: Amends RCW 10.93.020 to explicitly include “public transportation benefit areas” within the statutory list of limited‑authority agencies. (The bill also amends RCW 36.57A.080 related to PTBA powers; text in the provided materials is truncated but the RCW citation indicates the bill clarifies PTBA powers available under chapter 36.57A.)
- Who is affected: Public transportation benefit areas (regional transit districts/authorities), their staff, riders, and local/state law enforcement that currently coordinate with PTBAs.
- Practical effect: Enables PTBAs to be recognized as limited‑authority agencies under existing statewide mutual assistance, commissioning, and peace‑officer definitions — potentially facilitating specially commissioned or limited peace officers focused on transit‑related law enforcement duties and clarifying interagency relationships and authority boundaries.
- Procedural note: Received a public hearing in the Senate Law & Justice Committee (02/13/2023); later reintroduced and retained.
B. Modifying Washington College Grant (WCG) eligibility & adding a $500 annual bridge grant (2025 substitute)
- Purpose/intent: Expand eligibility for maximum Washington College Grant awards and provide an additional small annual stipend to low‑income students to help cover non‑tuition costs.
- Key provisions (S-1297.1 substitute):
- Income bands for maximum WCG: Students from families with incomes 0–70% of the state median family income (adjusted for family size) receive the maximum WCG (increase from prior 55% threshold).
- Prorated awards for higher incomes:
- 71–80% of state median: 50% of maximum WCG
- 81–90%: 25% of maximum WCG
- 91–100%: 10% of maximum WCG
- New “bridge grant”: An annual $500 grant for WCG recipients who qualify for the maximum WCG but are not College Bound Scholarship recipients. Key rules:
- Awarding begins in the 2025–26 academic year.
- Full $500 requires at least half‑time enrollment; less than half‑time enrollment is prorated.
- The bridge grant is applied after all other gift aid has been awarded.
- Defined purpose: to help cover non‑tuition costs (books, supplies, technology, transportation, housing, child care, etc.).
- Who is affected: Low‑ and moderate‑income Washington students attending higher education institutions; state financial aid administration (the Office of Student Financial Aid).
- Fiscal/implementation note: The substitute passed out of Senate Higher Education & Workforce Development and was referred to Ways & Means (02/06–07/2025). Budgetary impacts (total cost to the state) are not specified in the bill text and would be evaluated in Ways & Means and the budget process.
Next steps / legislative posture
- The 2025 substitute (higher education policy + bridge grant) is in the Ways & Means committee for budgetary review.
- The 2023 PTBA law‑enforcement proposal has been reintroduced/retained; further committee action would be required for enactment.
For questions about estimated fiscal impacts or how these changes would interact with local law enforcement agreements or existing aid awards, legislative fiscal notes and committee analyses (Ways & Means, Law & Justice) should be consulted once available.
Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.
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