STATE LEGISLATIVE UPDATE
May 18, 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.)
SESSION NEARS CLOSE
Typically at this point in the session, both chambers would hold weekend sessions but the House has already adjourned until Monday, May 21. As this is being written (at 3:30 p.m.), the Lt. Governor has announced that they have taken up less than half of the bills on today’s Senate agenda, which leaves the possibility of 200 bills on the agenda for Monday.
Appropriations Bill
The conference committee on HB 1 met until close to midnight last night and made a few preliminary decisions on higher education. Please note that printed copies of their decisions are not available so we can only give general descriptions of their actions:
- Higher Education Group Insurance Premiums (HEGI) for those participating in the ERS program (which includes the UH System) are funded at 97.5 percent. Current funding is 90 percent of cost.
- Increased funding for Research Development Fund (Tier One) to roughly $40 million over the biennium.
- Increased formula funding by $66 million over the base bill.
Members of the conference committee will continue meeting over the weekend to try to complete the bill by early next week. However, earlier deadlines have already passed and there are still many unresolved issues.
Important End of Session Deadlines
- Saturday, May 19, last day for House committees to report Senate bills.
- Sunday, May 20, last Daily House calendar must be printed by 10 p.m.
- Tuesday, May 22, last day for the House to consider Senate bills on the Daily calendar on Second Reading, Also the last day for the Senate to consider all bills on Second or Third Reading.
- Wednesday, May 23, last day for the House to consider Senate bills on the local and consent calendar
- Friday, May 25, Conference Committee Report on the Appropriations Bill must be printed by midnight in the Senate.
- Saturday, May 26, Conference Committee Report on the Appropriations Bill must be printed by midnight in the House.
- Sunday, May 27, last day for the House to adopt conference committee reports.
- Monday, May 28, last day of the session
