Our
Legislative
Efforts
What is Lobbying?
Lobbying is communicating with any official in the legislative or executive branch for the purpose of attempting to influence legislative or administrative action, or a ballot issue. Each year, the OCE Team, the Board of Directors, Student Senators, and Bellevue College students go down to Olympia, our state's capitol, during the legislative session to talk to legislators about the issues affecting students!
What Does Lobbying and Advocacy Look Like?
Testimony
There are three distinct types of testimony that you can give to the Washington State Legislature. These include In-Person testimony, Remote testimony, and written testimony.
1. In-Person Testimony
In-Person testimony is the most powerful type of testimony. This is an opportunity to directly give your thoughts about a specific piece of legislation directly to the committee. If you are interested in testifying, please reach out to us!
Click here to learn more about how to testify.
2. Remote Testimony
Remote testimony is another powerful type of testimony. This is an opportunity to remotely give your testimony through zoom to the committee. Remote testimony is a fantastic way to share your thoughts about a piece of legislation, especially if traveling to Olympia may be burdensome for you. If you are interested in testifying, please reach out to us!
3. Written Testimony
Written testimony is a great way to communicate your thoughts on a piece of legislation to the members of the committee, if giving oral testimony isn't for you! If you need or would like help in constructing your written testimony, please reach out to us!
Sign-In-Pro
Providing testimony isn’t the only way to make sure your voice is heard on a particular issue. When bills are going to be reviewed in committee, there is an opportunity for you to note your position for the legislative record. This takes less than two minutes and helps to build a strong show of support or opposition for issues that Bellevue College students face.
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Throughout the legislative session (January-April), you will receive an email from our team about issues that we need your support on.
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Click here to learn how to sign-in-pro.
Contact Your Legislators
Another great way to share your voice with the lawmakers is by contacting your legislators. Click here to find your legislators and how to reach them.
Want to Get Involved?
If you have any questions about lobbying, legislative advocacy, or if you want to get involved, please don't hesitate to teach out to our team!
Our Recent Efforts
The Legislative Agenda
Each year we survey and work with students to understand what issues are impacting them, and what they would like to see changed. After this, our team builds the ASGBC Legislative Agenda, which serves as the official list of priorities that the ASGBC will address throughout the legislative session.
Our 2023-2024 Legislative Agenda was ratified by the Board of Directors through the passing of Board Bill 04-01-01 on January 12th, 2024.
Our Victories
HB 5904
Expands the Washington College Grant eligibility from a 5-year to a 6-year timespan to match the Federal Pell Grant. This was a huge victory, as students have worked on this issue for multiple sessions, and it finally passed!
For more information on this bill or to read a copy please click here!
HB 1889
Gives undocumented students the right to obtain professional licensures. For more information on this bill or to read a copy please click here!
HB 1224
Allows recipients of SNAP benefits to be notified that they are eligible to receive FAFSA benefits and the Washington College Grant when they apply for college. For more information on this bill or to read a copy please click here!
HB 2004
Gives members of the military and their dependents/spouses the right to early college registration. For more information on this bill or to read a copy please click here!
HB 2112
Serves as the basis for Narcan education and fentanyl testing strips access on college campuses. For more information on this bill or to read a copy please click here!
SB 6053
Provides more data sharing between the WSAC and higher education institutions to promote equitable access to post-secondary education. For more information on this bill or to read a copy please click here!
SB 6038
Reduces costs associated with childcare. For more information on this bill or to read a copy please click here!
SB 5953
Relates to financial aid grants for incarcerated students. For more information on this bill or to read a copy please click here!
Thank You
This was an incredibly successful short session, and we want to thank all members of the 2023-2024 ASGBC team, and our students for participating in our efforts!
