Last night the Washington State Senate passed Senate Bill 5854, legislation sponsored by Senator Emily Randall that would ensure faculty research activities are aligned with the State Ethics Act. 

Under SB 5854, higher education institutions are permitted to set administrative processes for activities constituting private uses of state resources at more than de minimis costs to the institution, but which are required as part of a faculty member or research employee’s job requirements. 

The framework in the bill is modeled after the section of the Ethics Act that allows research employees at the state’s research institutions to engage in scientific research and technology transfer in a manner consistent with ethics laws. 

The bill passed the Senate by a vote of 48 to 1.  The House of Representatives will take up SB 5854 over the next few weeks as the proposed legislation advances through the legislative process.  WWU’s faculty and administration have been leading advocacy efforts in partnership with other higher education advocates to ensure the bill is signed into law.