2001 Review
The University of Houston System universities and the UH System Office of Governmental Relations took an active role and made a significant impact on legislation affecting funding and the broader higher education environment in 2001. The UH System has closely monitored and advocated for legislative proposals affecting Federal support for scientific research, and has also made its voice heard on a number of issues affecting education policy and students. Highlights of these legislative activities are listed below.
TLC2 Environmental Funding — Under the leadership of Congressman Tom DeLay (R-TX) and with the support of the Texas Congressional delegation, $3.5 million to support the Texas Learning and Computation Center (TLC2) was included in the VA/HUD Appropriations bill. TLC2 is a hub for Houston areas researchers that utilizes computer simulation and modeling to solve complex problems associated with air quality and the environment, signal processing, data compression, visualization technology, engineering design, and medical research.
Federal Student Aid Appropriations — The UH System worked collaboratively with the higher education community to maintain and expand support for federal student aid programs. Bipartisan agreement among House and Senate leaders on the Labor/HHS/Education FY 2002 Appropriations bill raises the Pell Grant maximum to $4,000 per student. While Congress provided more than a $1 billion increase for the Pell Grant program, significant shortfalls in the currently funded program as well as an unexpected increase in applications for Pell Grants prevented the per student maximum from rising more than $200. Supplemental Education Opportunity Grants also received a modest increase of $34 million over FY 2001, and the UH System worked to preserve level funding of $1,011 million for the Federal Work-Study program. The Federal TRIO Program received a slight increase of $72.5 million over FY 2001 as well.
Great Cities’ Universities — The University of Houston, as part of the 17-institution Great Cities’ Universities coalition, continued its advocacy to help make members of Congress and their staffs aware of the coalition’s service to the nation’s metropolitan areas. In 2001, the group’s Skills Enhancement Partnership Initiative received a $400,000 grant from the Department of Education (for FY 2002). UH and the University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee will be the lead institutions in this program that will study the shortage of skilled workers and provide high-skill and professional training for incumbent and dislocated workers, and education-to-work transition of those new to the labor force.
Section 127 — The UH System worked in coalition with the academic community and other groups to obtain permanent extension of Internal Revenue Code Section 127, which allows employer provided education assistance to be both tax-exempt for the employee and tax deductible for the employer. The Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001 included this important provision, which applies to both graduate and undergraduate education.
Student Visas Legislation — The UH System actively participated in an effort to work with members of Congress on legislation providing specific security measures that the State Department, the Immigration and Naturalization Service, and colleges and universities would use in both the issuance and implementation of student visas. The successful effort resulted in proposed compromise legislation that is the least burdensome to colleges and universities and has garnered support in Congress. This bill would impose new data requirements on colleges and universities until SEVIS (Student Exchange Visitor Information System) is fully integrated nationwide. SEVIS is an international student tracking system mandated by the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996. Congress has also authorized funding for SEVIS in order to expedite its nationwide implementation as quickly as possible.
In addition to efforts in Congress, the UH System is working with other universities to help shape any new student visas reporting requirements which the Bush Administration may impose as part of the new efforts by the Task Force on Homeland Security. Universities are trying to ensure that any new regulations are conducive to the most effective and efficient system through which opportunities for a safe and multi-cultural education are preserved. Federal legislation and new Administration policies regarding student visas are expected to pass within the next year.
Rats, Birds, and Mice — The UH System worked in coalition with the academic community and other groups to include in the FY 2002 Agriculture Appropriations bill language regarding the regulations of rats, birds, and mice in research. In response to challenges from animal rights organizations, the Agriculture Department had agreed to treat rats, birds, and mice under the same rules as larger research animals. However, the FY2002 Agriculture Appropriations bill prevents any such action by the Department by placing a one year moratorium on any proposed rulemaking that would modify the definition of "animal" in research to include rats, birds, and mice.
Researcher Restrictions — The UH System worked with other members of the academic community to ensure that Federal requirements relating to the security of biohazardous materials, strengthened under the recently passed USA Patriot Act, would not prevent researchers from carrying out studies using hazardous biological agents. Among other things, the new law prohibits some individuals—such as felons, drug users, those who have been dishonorably discharged from the military, and citizens of countries determined by the State Department to sponsor terrorism—from having access to such materials.
Charitable IRA Rollover — The UH System assisted with an effort to include a provision in tax legislation considered by Congress in 2001, which would permit taxpayers 70.5 years of age and older to transfer their IRA assets directly to non-profit organizations without any tax liability for the taxpayer. While the effort by universities across the country did spur the Senate to include this provision within its version of the $1.35 trillion tax cut package, the final tax cut legislation did not provide for any Charitable IRA Rollover provision. However, President Bush still endorses the provision and it is expected that the measure will be offered as part of a larger piece of legislation in 2002.
