This bill creates a new law (a new chapter in Title 28B RCW) that requires public baccalaureate institutions to annually identify and compile a list of low-enrollment undergraduate degree programs and to subject any program that appears on that list for three consecutive years to a discontinuance review by the institution’s governing board. A "low-enrollment program" is defined as an undergraduate degree program that produces fewer than 10 graduates per academic year on average over the most recent five-year period. Governing boards must consider specified extenuating circumstances during the review; if no extenuating circumstances are found, the board must recommend discontinuance and include a teach-out plan to ensure currently enrolled students have a reasonable opportunity to complete their degree. The institutions must submit an annual report to the legislature in compliance with RCW 43.01.036, and the act takes effect July 1, 2026. The bill defines "public baccalaureate institution" by reference to RCW 28B.10.016, and it defines "undergraduate degree program" and "teach-out plan" in the new chapters. Affected parties identified in the bill include governing boards of public baccalaureate institutions, the undergraduate programs that meet the low-enrollment definition, students enrolled in programs recommended for discontinuance, and the legislature’s appropriate policy and fiscal committees as recipients of the annual report. This is primarily a procedural change establishing review, discontinuance, and reporting requirements rather than a criminal or penalty change. Important context is missing from the extracted text: the exact entities covered by the RCW 28B.10.016 reference are not quoted here, the specific "appropriate policy and fiscal committees" are not named, the new chapter number in Title 28B is not provided, the phrase "proceeding calendar year" in the reporting deadline is unclear, and the text does not include further procedural details such as how governing boards must conduct reviews, or whether there are appeal or implementation mechanisms.

If enacted, public four-year colleges will have to track undergraduate programs that average fewer than 10 graduates over five years and flag any program that appears on that list for three straight years. Governing boards will be pushed to review those programs and, unless clear extenuating reasons exist, move toward recommending discontinuance while putting in place plans so current students can finish. Practically, this will increase the pace of program closures or consolidations, shift funding and faculty positions away from very small programs, and narrow program choices available to new students. The groups most affected are university governing boards (more review, reporting, and teach-out planning work), small undergraduate programs and their faculty (higher risk of losing funding or being closed), and students enrolled in those programs (who should receive teach-out protections but may face fewer long-term options). The Legislature will start receiving annual lists of multi-year low-enrollment programs. Important details are unclear from the text provided: which specific institutions are covered under the referenced RCW, which legislative committees should get the reports, the exact meaning of the report deadline phrase, and the procedural steps, appeal rights, and timelines for carrying out discontinuance reviews.