Bill Text: AZ SB1228 | 2014 | Fifty-first Legislature 2nd Regular | Introduced
Bill Title: Higher education; tuition; fees; reduction
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2014-01-28 - Referred to Senate ED Committee [SB1228 Detail]
Download: Arizona-2014-SB1228-Introduced.html
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REFERENCE TITLE: higher education; tuition; fees; reduction |
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State of Arizona Senate Fifty-first Legislature Second Regular Session 2014
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SB 1228 |
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Introduced by Senator Crandell
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AN ACT
amending sections 15‑1626 and 41‑1504, Arizona Revised Statutes; relating to postsecondary education.
(TEXT OF BILL BEGINS ON NEXT PAGE)
Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Arizona:
Section 1. Section 15-1626, Arizona Revised Statutes, is amended to read:
15-1626. General administrative powers and duties of board; definition
A. The board shall:
1. Have and exercise the powers necessary for the effective governance and administration of the institutions under its control. To that end, the board may adopt, and authorize each university to adopt, such regulations, policies, rules or measures as are deemed necessary and may delegate in writing to its committees, to its university presidents, or their designees, or to other entities under its control, any part of its authority for the administration and governance of such institutions, including those powers enumerated in section 15‑1625, subsection B, paragraphs 2 and 4, paragraphs 3, 4, 8, 9, 11 and 12 of this subsection and subsection B of this section. Any delegation of authority may be rescinded by the board at any time in whole or in part.
2. Appoint and employ and determine the compensation of presidents with such power and authority and for such purposes in connection with the operation of the institutions as the board deems necessary.
3. Appoint and employ and determine the compensation of vice‑presidents, deans, professors, instructors, lecturers, fellows and such other officers and employees with such power and authority and for such purposes in connection with the operation of the institutions as the board deems necessary, or delegate its authority pursuant to paragraph 1 of this subsection.
4. Remove any officer or employee when the interests of education in this state so require in accordance with its personnel rules and policies.
5. Fix tuitions and fees to be charged and differentiate the tuitions and fees between institutions and between residents, nonresidents, undergraduate students, graduate students, students from foreign countries and students who have earned credit hours in excess of the credit hour threshold. For the purposes of this paragraph, the undergraduate credit hour threshold is one hundred forty‑five hours for students who attend a university under the jurisdiction of the board. The undergraduate credit hour threshold shall be based on the actual full‑time equivalent student enrollment counted on the forty‑fifth day of every fall and spring semester, divided by two, and any budget adjustment based on student enrollment shall occur in the fiscal year following the actual full-time equivalent student enrollment count. The undergraduate credit hour threshold shall not apply to degree programs that require credit hours above the credit hour threshold, credits earned in the pursuit of up to two baccalaureate degrees, credits earned in the pursuit of up to two state regulated licensures or certificates, credits earned in the pursuit of teaching certification, credits transferred from a private institution of higher education, credits transferred from an institution of higher education in another state, credits earned at another institution of higher education but that are not accepted as transfer credits at the university where the student is currently enrolled and credits earned by students who enroll at a university under the jurisdiction of the board more than twenty-four months after the end of that student's previous enrollment at a public institution of higher education in this state. On or before October 15 of each year, the board shall report to the joint legislative budget committee the number of in‑state students and out‑of‑state students who were enrolled at universities under the jurisdiction of the board during the previous fiscal year who met or exceeded the undergraduate credit hour threshold prescribed in this paragraph. The amount of tuition, registration fees and other revenues included in the operating budget for the university adopted by the board as prescribed in paragraph 13 of this subsection shall be deposited, pursuant to sections 35‑146 and 35‑147. All other tuition and fee revenue shall be retained by each university for expenditure as approved by the board, except that the universities shall not use any tuition or fee revenue to fund or support an alumni association. The board shall reduce tuition and fees that a student would otherwise be charged by _________ per cent if the student is pursuing a degree in a field of study that is on the list submitted by the arizona commerce authority pursuant to section 41‑1504, subsection C, paragraph 7. The board shall annually report to the governor, the speaker of the house of representatives and the president of the senate the number of students who are admitted to a university under the jurisdiction of the board and who are pursuing a degree in a field of study that is on the list submitted by the arizona commerce authority pursuant to section 41‑1504. The board shall provide a copy of this report to the secretary of state.
6. Except as provided in subsection I of this section, adopt rules to govern its tuition and fee setting process that provide for the following:
(a) At least one public hearing at each university as an opportunity for students and members of the public to comment on any proposed increase in tuition or fees.
(b) Publication of the notice of public hearing at least ten days prior to the hearing in a newspaper of general circulation in Maricopa county, Coconino county and Pima county. The notice shall include the date, time and location of the public hearing.
(c) Public disclosure by each university of any proposed increases in tuition or fees at least ten days prior to the public hearing.
(d) Final board action on changes in tuition or fees shall be taken by roll call vote.
The procedural requirements of subdivisions (a), (b), (c) and (d) of this paragraph apply only to those changes in tuition or fees that require board approval.
7. Pursuant to section 35‑115, submit a budget request for each institution under its jurisdiction that includes the estimated tuition and fee revenue available to support the programs of the institution as described in the budget request. The estimated available tuition and fee revenue shall be based on the tuition and registration fee rates in effect at the time the budget request is submitted with adjustments for projected changes in enrollment as provided by the board.
8. Establish curriculums and designate courses at the several institutions that in its judgment will best serve the interests of this state.
9. Award such degrees and diplomas on the completion of such courses and curriculum requirements as it deems appropriate.
10. Prescribe qualifications for admission of all students to the universities. Notwithstanding any other law, the admission qualifications shall prohibit the admission of students who require remedial courses and students who fail to obtain a satisfactory score on the placement test used by that university. The board shall establish policies for guaranteed admission that assure fair and equitable access to students in this state from public, private and charter schools and homeschools. For the purpose of determining the qualifications of honorably discharged veterans, veterans are those persons who served in the armed forces for a minimum of two years and who were previously enrolled at a university or community college in this state. No prior failing grades received by the veteran at the university or community college in this state may be considered.
11. Adopt any energy conservation standards promulgated by the department of administration for the construction of new buildings.
12. Employ for such time and purposes as the board requires attorneys whose compensation shall be fixed and paid by the board. Litigation to which the board is a party and for which self‑insurance is not provided may be compromised or settled at the direction of the board.
13. Adopt annually an operating budget for each university equal to the sum of appropriated general fund monies and the amount of tuition, registration fees and other revenues approved by the board and allocated to each university operating budget.
14. In consultation with the state board of education and other education groups, develop and implement a program to award honors endorsements to be affixed to the high school diplomas of qualifying high school pupils and to be included in the transcripts of pupils who are awarded endorsements. The board shall develop application procedures and testing criteria and adopt testing instruments and procedures to administer the program. In order to receive an honors endorsement, a pupil must demonstrate an extraordinary level of knowledge, skill and competency as measured by the testing instruments adopted by the board in mathematics, English, science and social studies. Additional subjects may be added at the determination of the board. The program is voluntary for pupils.
15. Require the publisher of each literary and nonliterary textbook used in the universities of this state to furnish computer software in a standardized format when software becomes available for nonliterary textbooks to the Arizona board of regents from which braille versions of the textbooks may be produced.
16. Require universities that provide a degree in education to require courses that are necessary to obtain a provisional structured English immersion endorsement as prescribed by the state board of education.
17. Acquire United States flags for each classroom that are manufactured in the United States and that are at least two feet by three feet and hardware to appropriately display the United States flags, acquire a legible copy of the Constitution of the United States and the Bill of Rights, display the flags in each classroom in accordance with title 4 of the United States Code and display a legible copy of the Constitution of the United States and the Bill of Rights adjacent to the flag.
18. To facilitate the transfer of military personnel and their dependents to and from the public schools of this state, pursue, in cooperation with the state board of education, reciprocity agreements with other states concerning the transfer credits for military personnel and their dependents. A reciprocity agreement entered into pursuant to this paragraph shall:
(a) Address procedures for each of the following:
(i) The transfer of student records.
(ii) Awarding credit for completed course work coursework.
(iii) Permitting a student to satisfy the graduation requirements prescribed in section 15‑701.01 through the successful performance on comparable exit-level assessment instruments administered in another state.
(b) Include appropriate criteria developed by the state board of education and the Arizona board of regents.
19. Require a university to publicly post notices of all of its employment openings, including the title and description, instructions for applying and relevant contact information.
20. In consultation with the community college districts in this state, develop and implement common equivalencies for specific levels of achievement on advanced placement examinations and international baccalaureate examinations in order to award commensurate postsecondary academic credits at community colleges and public universities in this state.
21. On or before August 1 of each year, report to the joint legislative budget committee the graduation rate by university campus during the previous fiscal year. The board shall also report the retention rate by university campus and by class, as determined by date of entry during the previous fiscal year.
B. The board shall adopt personnel policies for all employees of the board and the universities.
C. In conjunction with the auditor general, the board shall develop a uniform accounting and reporting system, which shall be reviewed by the joint legislative budget committee before final adoption by the board. The board shall require each university to comply with the uniform accounting and reporting system.
D. The board may employ legal assistance in procuring loans for the institutions from the United States government. Fees or compensation paid for such legal assistance shall not be a claim on the general fund of this state but shall be paid from funds of the institutions.
E. The board shall approve or disapprove any contract or agreement entered into by the university of Arizona hospital with the Arizona health facilities authority.
F. The board may adopt policies that authorize the institutions under its jurisdiction to enter into employment contracts with nontenured employees for periods of more than one year but not more than five years. The policies shall prescribe limitations on the authority of the institutions to enter into employment contracts for periods of more than one year but not more than five years, including the requirement that the board approve the contracts.
G. The board may adopt a plan or plans for employee benefits that allow for participation in a cafeteria plan that meets the requirements of the United States internal revenue code of 1986.
H. The board may establish a program for the exchange of students between the universities under the jurisdiction of the board and colleges and universities located in the state of Sonora, Mexico. Notwithstanding subsection A, paragraph 5 of this section, the program may provide for in‑state tuition at the universities under the jurisdiction of the board for fifty Sonoran students in exchange for similar tuition provisions for up to fifty Arizona students enrolled or seeking enrollment in Sonoran colleges or universities. The board may direct the universities to work in conjunction with the Arizona‑Mexico commission to coordinate recruitment and admissions activities.
I. Subsection A, paragraph 6, subdivisions (a), (b), (c) and (d) of this section do not apply to fee increases that are set by individual universities and that do not require approval by the Arizona board of regents before the fee increase becomes effective.
J. On or before July 1, 2012, The Arizona board of regents, in collaboration with the universities under its jurisdiction, shall adopt a performance funding model. The performance funding model shall use performance metrics that include the increase in degrees awarded, the increase in completed student credit hours and the increase in externally generated research and public service funding. The funding formula may give added weight to degrees related to science, technology, engineering and mathematics and other high-value degrees that are in short supply or that are essential to this state's long-term economic development strategy.
K. The Arizona board of regents shall use the performance funding model adopted pursuant to subsection J of this section in developing and submitting budget requests for the universities under its jurisdiction.
L. On or before November 1 of each year, the Arizona board of regents shall submit to the joint legislative budget committee and the governor's office of strategic planning and budgeting a report on university debt and obligations, including:
1. Long‑term notes and obligations.
2. Certificates of participation and other obligations pursuant to any lease‑purchase agreements.
3. Revenue bonds.
4. Bonds issued pursuant to section 15‑1682.03.
M. The report issued pursuant to subsection L of this section shall contain, for the most recent fiscal year:
1. The aggregate level of outstanding principal and the principal and interest payments, by type of debt or obligation.
2. An itemization, by campus and project, of the amount of yearly principal and interest to be paid in the most recent and the next five fiscal years.
N. For the purposes of this section, "university debt and obligations" means debt and obligations, the principal and interest of which are paid in whole or in part with university monies.
Sec. 2. Section 41-1504, Arizona Revised Statutes, is amended to read:
41-1504. Powers and duties; e-verify requirement
A. The board of directors, on behalf of the authority, may:
1. Adopt and use a corporate seal.
2. Sue and be sued.
3. Enter into contracts as necessary to carry out the purposes and requirements of this chapter, including intergovernmental agreements pursuant to title 11, chapter 7, article 3 and interagency service agreements as provided by section 35‑148.
4. Lease real property and improvements to real property for the purposes of the authority. Leases by the authority are exempt from chapter 4, article 7 of this title, relating to management of state properties.
5. Employ or retain legal counsel and other consultants as necessary to carry out the purposes of the authority.
6. Develop and use written policies, procedures and guidelines for the terms and conditions of employing officers and employees of the authority and may include background checks of appropriate personnel.
B. The board of directors, on behalf of the authority, shall:
1. Develop comprehensive long-range strategic economic plans for this state and submit the plans to the governor.
2. Annually update a strategic economic plan for submission to the governor.
3. Accept gifts, grants and loans and enter into contracts and other transactions with any federal or state agency, municipality, private organization or other source.
C. The authority shall:
1. Assess and collect fees for processing applications and administering incentives. The board shall adopt the manner of computing the amount of each fee to be assessed. Within thirty days after proposing fees for adoption, the chief executive officer shall submit a schedule of the fees for review by the joint legislative budget committee. It is the intent of the legislature that a fee shall not exceed one per cent of the amount of the incentive.
2. Determine and collect registry fees for the administration of the allocation of federal tax exempt industrial development bonds and student loan bonds authorized by the authority. Such monies collected by the authority shall be deposited, pursuant to sections 35‑146 and 35‑147, in an authority bond fund. Monies in the fund shall be used, subject to annual appropriation by the legislature, by the authority to administer the allocations provided in this paragraph and are exempt from the provisions of section 35‑190 relating to the lapsing of appropriations.
3. Determine and collect security deposits for the allocation, for the extension of allocations and for the difference between allocations and principal amounts of federal tax exempt industrial development bonds and student loan bonds authorized by the authority. Security deposits forfeited to the authority shall be deposited in the state general fund.
4. At the direction of the board, establish and supervise the operations of full-time or part-time offices in other states and foreign countries for the purpose of expanding direct investment and export trade opportunities for businesses and industries in this state if, based on objective research, the authority determines that the effort would be beneficial to the economy of this state.
5. Establish a program by which entrepreneurs become aware of permits, licenses or other authorizations needed to establish, expand or operate in this state.
6. Be the state registration agency for apprenticeship functions prescribed by the federal government.
7. Develop and submit to the Arizona board of regents and each community college district in this state a list of fields of study that involve skills that are in high demand by employers. The authority shall annually update the list prescribed by this paragraph.
D. The authority, through the chief executive officer, may:
1. Contract and incur obligations reasonably necessary or desirable within the general scope of the authority's activities and operations to enable the authority to adequately perform its duties.
2. Use monies, facilities or services to provide matching contributions under federal or other programs that further the objectives and programs of the authority.
3. Accept gifts, grants, matching monies or direct payments from public or private agencies or private persons and enterprises for the conduct of programs that are consistent with the general purposes and objectives of this chapter.
4. Assess business fees for promotional services provided to businesses that export products and services from this state. The fees shall not exceed the actual costs of the services provided.
5. Establish and maintain one or more accounts in banks or other depositories, for public or private monies of the authority, from which operational activities, including payroll, vendor and grant payments, may be conducted. Individual funds that are established by law under the jurisdiction of the authority may be maintained in separate accounts in banks or other depositories, but shall not be commingled with any other monies or funds of the authority.
E. The chief executive officer shall:
1. Hire employees and prescribe the terms and conditions of their employment as necessary to carry out the purposes of the authority. The board of directors shall adopt written policies, procedures and guidelines, similar to those adopted by the department of administration, regarding officer and employee compensation, observed holidays, leave and reimbursement of travel expenses and health and accident insurance. The officers and employees of the authority are exempt from any laws regulating state employment, including:
(a) Chapter 4, articles 5 and 6 of this title, relating to state service.
(b) Title 38, chapter 4, article 1 and chapter 5, article 2, relating to state personnel compensation, leave and retirement.
(c) Title 38, chapter 4, article 2, relating to reimbursement of state employee expenses.
(d) Title 38, chapter 4, article 4, relating to health and accident insurance.
2. On a quarterly basis, provide public record data in a manner prescribed by the department of administration related to the authority's revenues and expenditures for inclusion in the comprehensive database of receipts and expenditures of state monies pursuant to section 41‑725.
F. In addition to any other requirement, in order to qualify for any grant, loan, reimbursement, tax incentive or other economic development incentive pursuant to this chapter, an applicant that is an employer must register with and participate in the e-verify program in compliance with section 23‑214. The authority shall require verification of compliance with this subsection as part of any application process.
G. Notwithstanding any other law, the authority is subject to chapter 3.1, article 1 of this title, relating to risk management.
H. The authority is exempt from chapter 32, articles 1 and 2 of this title, relating to statewide information technology. The authority shall adopt policies, procedures and guidelines regarding information technology.
I. The authority is exempt from state general accounting and finance practices and rules adopted pursuant to chapter 4, article 3 of this title, but the board shall adopt written accounting practices, systems and procedures for the economic and efficient operation of the authority.
J. The authority is exempt from section 41‑712, relating to the installation and maintenance of telecommunications telecommunication systems.
K. The authority may lease or purchase motor vehicles for use by employees to conduct business activities. The authority is exempt from section 41‑803, relating to the state motor vehicle fleet, and title 38, chapter 3, article 10, relating to vehicle usage and markings.
L. Any tangible or intangible record submitted to or compiled by the board or the authority in connection with its work, including the award of monies, is subject to title 39, chapter 1, unless an applicant shows, or the board or authority determines, that specific information meets either of the following:
1. If made public, the information would divulge the applicant's or potential applicant's trade secrets, as defined in section 44‑401.
2. If made public, the information could potentially harm the applicant's, the potential applicant's or this state's competitive position relating to potential business development opportunities and strategies.
M. The authority is exempt from chapter 25, article 1 of this title, relating to government competition with private enterprise.
