In conjunction with Monday’s start of the legislative session, these higher education bills will be debated in the upcoming months: House of Representatives HB1 – State Appropriations Annual revision of the state budget that will determine the University’s operation budget for the 2013 Fiscal Year. HB53/SB51 – Retirement Age This bill would increase the retirement age for certain members of the Louisiana State Employees’ Retirement System and the Teachers’ Retirement System of Louisiana to 67 years old. HB61/SB53 – New Retirement Programs This bill would create a new cash balance retirement plan for certain members within state retirement programs, including some faculty members. HB137, HB140 and HB435 – TOPS for Veterans These bills seek to provide TOPS aid and residency status to veterans at Louisiana public institutions, regardless of the amount of time veterans live in the state. HB275  – Board of Supervisors Authority This bill would continue to permit increases to tuition and fees through the LA GRAD Act 2.0, allowing the University System to govern similarly to schools in the same tier. HB294 – Capping TOPS TOPS aid could not exceed $1,600 per semester. TOPS would be capped from the 2014 Fiscal Year to the 2018 Fiscal Year. HB348 – TOPS Eligibility This bill would allow the SAT to also count for the award. It would also eliminate the plan of cutting TOPS from high-income students, should funds run out. HB395 and HB727 – Board of Regents Authority The power to receive, spend and allocate money would be subject to the Board of Regents and its funding formula and recommendations as opposed to the university systems. HB727 retains the Regents’ current power but allows for institutional mission statements to be considered in funding decision-making. HB818 – Louisiana Fire and Emergency Training Commission This bill would create the Louisiana Fire and Emergency Training Commission within LSU. The Baton Rouge campus is the current state agency that trains in-service firefighters statewide. HB841 – TOPS and Regents Authority This bill would shift power to designate TOPS award amounts from the Louisiana Student Financial Assistance Commission to the Board of Regents. Currently, the LSFAC correlates TOPS amounts with tuition costs at public institutions. The Board of Regents would evaluate the award amount annually and suggest adjustments to the state Legislature. HB848 – Board of Supervisors Resident Status Authority This bill would allow for each university’s boards of supervisors to grant residency status to out-of-state commuters or non-resident distance learners. HB883 – Board of Regents Licensure Fee Authority This bill would let the Board of Regents raise licensure fees up to $750 for postsecondary institutions. HB926 – TOPS ACT/SAT Eligibility Dates Students seeking TOPS aid could submit ACT or SAT scores to the LSFAC by July 1 of their graduating year or later under certain circumstances. HB945 and HB946, SB579 – TOPS Extension for Veterans These bills would extend the four-year eligibility time constraint for students who are currently active in the U.S. Armed Forces or who re-enlist. The extension would be equal to the amount of time spent in active duty. HB964/SB527 – LSU Shreveport and La. Tech Merger Allows for the merger of LSU Shreveport and Louisiana Tech University, enabling the transfer of LSU Shreveport to the University of Louisiana System. Senate SB103 – Degree Hours This bill would designate that a baccalaureate degree could not exceed 120 credit hours unless approved by the Board of Regents. SB104 – Transfer Guidelines This bill would change state procedure concerning a system of course numbers and receiving credit for classes when transferring schools. SB301 – Retained Funds Any higher education institutions that wish to retain funds not spent by the end of a fiscal year for the next fiscal year would be required to create a stabilization plan that requires approval from the Board of Regents. SB383 – Master Plan Revisions The Board of Regents would have to revise master plans for higher education institutions every five years, and the board would have to develop a “role, scope and mission” for each. SB385 – Board of Regents Authority This constitutional amendment would allow managing boards at each higher education institution to be in charge of daily operation but at subject to the Board of Regent’s “powers and policies.” SB412 – Louisiana Businesses and Colleges Colleges and universities would be allowed to enter leases with Louisiana businesses in areas designated as business incubators or research parks. SB418 – Board of Regents and Mergers This bill would require the Board of Regents to consider mergers of higher education institutions for the benefit of educational services and programs. SB522 – Intellectual Property Higher education institutions would be required to implement a procedure for licensing intellectual property. The bill encourages institutions to follow an example set by Carnegie Mellon University. ____ Contact Brian Sibille at [email protected]