Government Relations
UM Legislative Update Newsletter
February 3, 2006
Senate Education Committee adopts omnibus higher education bill, reports to the Senate for floor consideration
A bill combining several higher education proposals into an omnibus bill has been put on the fast track for floor consideration by the Senate. The Senate Education Committee approved a Senate Committee Substitute for SB590 on Wednesday, Jan. 31, and the bill has since been reported out of committee and placed on the Senate perfection calendar. The proposal incorporates six bills that had already been heard before the committee in January. These include:
- A requirement that higher education, elementary and secondary education and economic development leaders in the state meet each year to discuss ways in which their respective departments may collaborate to achieve a more efficient and effective education system that more adequately prepares students for the challenges of entering the workforce and report to the general assembly and Governor actions taken by their agencies to achieve policy goals. This bill was originally introduced as SB580.
- An extension of the statute authorizing the University of Missouri’s engineering equipment grant program at all campuses. Under the provision the University can request state funds for engineering equipment based on a formula that considers number of engineering graduates from each institution. The bill requires the campuses to raise matching funds. The current statute expires in 2007 and this section would extend the grant program though 2017. This bill was originally introduced as SB679.
- A section to grant the Commissioner of Higher Education authority to impose a fine on higher education institutions that disregard policies of the Coordinating Board for Higher Education. The fine cannot exceed one percent of the institution’s current fiscal year state appropriation and is to be refunded when the violation is corrected. An appeals process is included in the language, which was originally introduced as SB590 and also included in SB857.
- A section that requires public institutions to submit to binding dispute resolution with regard to disputes among institutions that involve jurisdictional boundaries and expenditures. The Commissioner of Higher Education would serve as the arbitrator in such disagreements. The Coordinating Board is to establish an appeals process for this section as well. This was originally introduced as SB590 and also included in SB857.
- Authorization language for a new tuition grant program for U.S. military members in active duty, reserve or national guard who served in Iraq during Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom. The act defines eligibility criteria and would be administered by the Coordinating Board. This was originally introduced as SB708.
- Authorization for a new Community College Associate Degree Transfer Incentive Scholarship Program, which would provide scholarship funds to public four year institutions to distribute to students who complete an associates degree at a Missouri public community college and transfer to a public four year institution to continue their education. The funds would be distributed on a pro-rata basis according to the number of transfer students at each institution. The program, which includes a six-year sunset, was originally introduced as SB654.
- Provisions to clarify the term of office for the Board of Governors of Missouri State University. This was originally introduced as SB650.
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