LegisLetter

G O V E R N M E N T A L R E L A T I O N S

Volume 5

April 15, 1996

Both the Senate Ways and Means Committee and the House Appropriations Committee have approved appropriations bills for the 1996-97 fiscal year. However, in a show of dissatisfaction for the K-12 budget, House Republican members voted against the budget. The vote was 19-16. The Senate bill passed with only one no vote. The bills are scheduled for debate on the floor of both chambers on Thursday, April 18. The differences between the two bills are extreme, making the conference committee process very important. Conferees will be appointed at the end of this week or the beginning of next week.

The Senate Higher Education Committee meets on Monday, April 15. The chairman, Senator George Kirkpatrick, will discuss several bills pertaining to flexibility.

The Florida House of Representatives played host to a few VIP visitors last week. United States Senator Bob Graham visited the House to eulogize Federal Secretary of Commerce Ron Brown. Michael Dukakis also visited and gave his predictions on who will be the next President of the United States (for what it's worth, he thought Clinton would win re-election).

As always, I welcome your comments, questions and concerns. Call me at 644-4453 or e-mail kdaly@govrel.fsu.edu.

Kathleen Daly

Session Schedule

April 16-19, 1996

House

Tuesday, April 16 9:00am-12:00pm

Wednesday, April 17 9:00am-12:00pm

Thursday, April 18 9:00am-2:00pm

Senate

Wednesday, April 17 9:30am-12:00pm

Thursday, April 18 9:30-until comp.

Friday, April 19 9:00am-12:00pm

SUS Of Florida 1996-97

Senate & House Committee

Recommendations

SUS Summary:

1996-97 SUS Legislative Amended Budget Request:

General Revenue $1,224,034,079

Educational Enhancement TF 125,085,000

Incidental/Student Fees 288,871,948

Other Trust Funds 69,430,118

Total SUS $1,707,421,145

1996-97 House:

General Revenue $1,359,779,184

Educational Enhancement TF 69,623,778

Incidental/Student Fees 294,365,961

Other Trust Funds 61,875,620

Total SUS $1,785,644,543

1996-97 Senate:

General Revenue $1,261,768,605

Educational Enhancement TF 123,200,000

Incidental/Student Fees 297,472,370

Other Trust Funds 83,618,448

Total SUS $1,766,059,423

TOTAL Cost to Continue Current Programs:

House $40,715,181 Senate $33.313,641

TOTAL Workload:

House $72,710,283 Senate $40,128,371

BUDGET REDUCTIONS/RESTORATIONS:

COLLINS CENTER:

House $0 Senate $500,000

PUBLIC SERVICE:

House $0 Senate $5,087,302

RESEARCH:

House $0 Senate $16,974,438

CAMPUS VOLUNTEERS:

House $0 Senate $0

PRIVATIZE JANITORIAL SERVICES:

House $4,400,000 Senate $4,400,000

IMPROVED/NEW PROGRAMS:

FSU MAGNETIC LAB PROGRAM:

House $1,500,000 Senate $0

AQUACULTURE RESEARCH & EDUCATION:

House $300,000 Senate $300,000

GENDER EQUITY (ATHLETICS):

House $2,000,000 Senate $2,000,000

THREE-YEAR BACCALAUREATE DEGREE-FSU:

House $0 Senate $1,000,000

Number 7
Spotlight on Bills
Representative Debbie Wasserman-Schultz is sponsoring House Bill 2083, the bill creating equity accountability programs.This legislation will require each state university and community college to maintain a plan to increase the representation of women and minorities in faculty and administrative positions. House Bill 2083 passed out of the House Higher Education Committee with three amendments and is now in the House Appropriations Committee. Senator Betty Holzendorf is sponsoring an identical bill in the Senate, Senate Bill 1892.

Senate Bill 2348 requires each state university president to implement a matriculation and out-of-state tuition fee schedule. The revenues generated must be expended to implement a plan to achieve accountability goals and to implement a Board of Regent approved plan to contain student costs.

A "university resource fee" will be created with Senate Bill 2650. The bill will provide for recommendations by a committee composed of students and others to declare how the fee will be used. The bill also creates the membership and operational guidelines for the committee.

Senate Bill 2750 requires that students who enroll in certain college preparatory courses more than two times will pay fees covering the full cost of education. The bill also requires students to be informed of the availability of certain remedial courses offered through adult secondary education programs. Senate Bill 2750 deletes certain testing requirements. There is a comparable bills in the House, House Bill 2673 sponsored by the House Higher Education Committee.

Senate Bill 2870, by Senator Fred Dudley, establishes Florida Gulf Coast University as a political subdivision of the state to be locally governed and operated by a board of trustees. While the university would operate generally within the framework of rules of the State Board of Education and the Board of Regents, the expressed intent of the legislation is to provide maximum local autonomy in governance and operation. The university president would be executive officer and corporate secretary of the board of trustees, and would be the chief administrative officer of the university. All components of the university and all facets of its operation would be responsible to the board of trustees through the president. The bill also creates the Florida Distance Learning Network as a Type I institute and center in accordance with rules of the Board of Regents and would be located at Florida Gulf Coast University. Senate Bill 2870 has passed out of the Senate Higher Education Committee and is now in the Senate Governmental Reform Committee.
Committee Substitute/House Bill 2553 by Representative Jim Davis and Representative Marjorie Turnbull passed out of the House Finance and Taxation Committee, but not before being amended. Representative Debbie Wasserman-Schultz and Representative Bob Starks argued that allowing university presidents to increase tuition was wrong. Representative Wasserman-Schultz stated that the legislature does not allow agency heads to set fees and she feels that the legislature should retain that say over the presidents. Representative Davis disagreed and said he felt that the presidents know more about what is best for the students.

The language referring to university president's authority to raise tuition this fall is still contained in Committee Substitute/House Bill 1313 by Speaker Peter Rudy Wallace and Representative Daniel Webster. That bill passed the House Finance and Taxation Committee and now goes to Appropriations.

Senator George Kirkpatrick is sponsoring several bills this legislative session that address postsecondary education. The following bills have passed out of the Senate Higher Education Committee and have moved to the Senate Ways and Means Committee:

Florida State University

Governmental Relations

Kathleen Daly, Director

110 Westcott Building

Tallahassee, FL 32306