STATE LEGISLATIVE UPDATE
February 20, 2007
(This 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.)
UH SYSTEM ADMINISTRATORS TESTIFY
BEFORE VARIOUS COMMITTEES
Both the House Appropriations Committee and the Senate Finance Committee are holding lengthy meetings to hear from every state agency. On Friday, Feb. 9, UH System Board of Regents Chairman Leroy Hermes and UH System Chancellor Jay Gogue testified before the Education Subcommittee of the House Appropriations Committee. On Tuesday, Feb 13, they, along with Presidents Bill Staples, Max Castillo and Tim Hudson, appeared before the Senate Finance Committee. The action will now move to subcommittees and workshops to mete out proposals for consideration by each of the full committees.
APPROPRIATIONS BILL EXPLAINED
The appropriations bill, like all legislation, follows a multi-step process. At each biennial legislative session, the House and Senate alternate as lead on the appropriations bill. While they work in concert at this point, the House will move HB 1 through the House first. Once it is sent to the Senate, the Finance Committee will be prepared to substitute their version for debate by the full Senate. That will be followed by lengthy consideration by a conference committee composed of five Senators and five Representatives.
The tradition of alternating the lead on the appropriations bill actually began as a practical way of sharing the burden and the cost of printing the large document. With the current available printing technology, that is not a significant issue, but the tradition carries forward.
Other substantive committees are meeting as well. Chancellor Gogue, along with other university chancellors, spoke before the House Higher Education Committee last week on affordability, accountability and accessibility. That committee and the Senate Higher Education Subcommittee have scheduled their regular meetings to be held on Mondays.
NEWLY FILED LEGISLATION OF INTEREST
HB 955 by Farabee, exempts certain textbooks and instruction materials from sales tax.
HB1099 by Lucio, establishes a law school at UT-Brownsville.
HB 1163 by Gallego, exempts spouses of certain military personnel from tuition and fees.
HB 1238 by Noriega, relates to the operation of a student health center at an institution of higher education (same as SB 479 by Janek).
HB 1349 by Burnam, relates to a prohibition of universities entering into contracts regarding development of production of nuclear weapons.
SB 554 by Shapleigh, relates to contracts for employment of a chief executive officer of a public institution of higher education.
SB 557 by Ellis, relates to reports regarding the consideration of certain factors by public and private institutions of higher education in admissions.
SB 577 by Ellis, relates to the portion of designated tuition required to be set aside to provide financial aid at institutions of higher education.
SB 579 by Ellis, relates to a limitation on increases in tuition and fees charged by public institutions of higher education.
