(This legislative update is produced by the UH System Office of Governmental Relations and the UH Division of University Advancement as a service to the UH System community, our alumni, and our friends.)
The House will begin debate on the Appropriations Bill today. They hope to complete deliberations by Wednesday so that they may adjourn for an Easter break. If they are not finished on Wednesday, Speaker Tom Craddick has directed that they will not take a break until they pass the legislation to third reading. In the bill, most universities receive a 12.5 % budget reduction and tuition revenue bonds are not fully funded. However, they did include some debt service to cover Tropical Storm Allison. They also fully funded 100 % of indirect cost recovery.
Before the House begins deliberations on that bill, they will debate HB 7, which contains reductions for the current fiscal year that ends August 30. Most agencies and institutions were cut by 7 %.
UH System Reductions
| UHSA | $198,559 |
| UH | $9,123,978 |
| UHCL | $1,899,602 |
| UHV | $624,838 |
The Senate Finance Committee completed mark-up for higher education in the Appropriations Bill last Thursday. University appropriations in that bill are slightly higher than in the House bill and include full payments for existing tuition revenue bonds.
Realizing that most House committees will not meet this week, the Higher Education Committee held two public hearings last week.
On Monday they considered Chairman Geanie Morrison’s tuition bill (HB 3015) and UH System Assistant Vice Chancellor for for Planning and Outreach Ed Hugetz testified on behalf of the UH System. The bill was left pending. HB 1887 by Morrison, which authorizes retention of 100 % of indirect costs, was heard and reported from committee. They also considered Rep. Dennis Bonnen’s bill establishing a pilot program allowing certain community colleges to award certain baccalaureate degrees. It was reported from committee. A number of bills were considered on Thursday and all were left pending. The first bill on the agenda was Rep. Peggy Hamric’s bill (HB 3526) creating one excellence fund for research. UH System Vice Chancellor Grover Campbell, A&M Vice Chancellor Stanton Calvert, and Texas Tech Vice Chancellor Mike Sanders each testified on the bill. The committee also considered HB 3526 by Rep. John Davis authorizing tuition revenue bonds for Tropical Storm Allison damage.
OTHER LEGISLATION OF INTEREST--HB 2505 by Rep. David Swinford, which authorizes the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board to review university system administrations, was heard in the House Committee on Government Reform and left pending.
HB 944 by Rep. Phil King requires institutions to apply same admission standards to students with nontraditional secondary education as public school students. It has passed the House.
SB 388 by Sen. Rodney Ellis gives the Texas Land Commission authority over under-used state property. It was amended to exclude property donated or bequeathed to institutions of higher education and was passed by the Senate.
HB 244l7 by Norman Chavez, relating to free speech on college campuses, was heard and left pending in House Higher Education.
SB 833 by Sen. Tommy Williams, which includes alumni associations in the Charitable Immunity and Liability Act, was reported from committee.
SB 1542 by Sen. Eliot Shapleigh, which reauthorizes the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, was reported from Senate committee.
The Senate Education Committee will hear SB 1630 by Sen. Bill Ratliff, which authorizes retention of 100 % of indirect cost recovery, today.
"UH SYSTEM DAY IN AUSTIN" PHOTO GALLERY ONLINE—Visit the "UH System Day in Austin" Photo Gallery for a look at all the activities related to the visit by some 400 students, faculty, staff, alumni, and friends to the state capitol building on February 18, including images of the bus trip, the pep rally at Sholz Garten, the visit to the Senate Chamber and legislators offices, and the evening reception for legislators.
WATCH HOUSE, SENATE PROCEEDINGS ONLINE—Now you can watch the legislative sessions and committee meetings on line. Click on any of these links for live audio and video images…
Live broadcasts from House chamber and from committee rooms
http://www.capitol.state.tx.us/tlo/house/broadcast.htm
Live broadcasts from Senate chamber and from committee rooms