Government Relations
Legislative Update
October 14, 2003
Committee Hearings
Assembly Colleges and Universities met at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 7, in Room 225-Northwest of the State Capitol. The committee discussed the UW executive salary range action taken on Sept. 2 and Regent Vice President David Walsh spoke to the committee. Read Regent Walsh's testimony.
The committee heard testimony on:
AB-366.
Would require the Board of Regents
to accept all credits transferred within the UW System, including
credits transferred between
the two-year UW Colleges, and all
credits transferred from the technical college system.
AB-377.
Would require the Board of Regents
to offer paid sabbatical leave funded by gifts and grants,
instead of general purpose
revenue, as it is now funded.
AB-403.
Regulates athlete agents.
AB-532.
Makes UW System senior executive
salary ranges and adjustments subject to Joint Finance Committee
approval.
AB-543.
Expands the open meetings law to
include all university departmental committees, subcommittees
and similar bodies which are currently
exempt.
AB-558.
Requires that every vote by the Board
of Regents be a roll call vote.
Awaiting Governor's Signature
AB-344. Requires public and private universities to annually provide all enrolled students information on meningococcal disease and hepatitis B and the availability and effectiveness of vaccines against the diseases. Students living in campus housing must affirm that they have received the information and provide the date of vaccinations if applicable. The institutions must maintain a record of the student’s affirmation or dates of vaccinations.
Upcoming Committee Hearings
The Joint Finance Committee will meet on October 15 to take up, among other items, AB-503, which increases the number of students allowed to enter the UW-Parkside charter school from 400 to 480 beginning in the 2004-05 school year.
The Senate Higher Education and Tourism Committee meets
at 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday, October 15 in 300-SE, State Capitol.
The committee may vote on the following:
SB-242.
Increases future enrollment in UW-Parkside charter school.
SB-247.
Provision of certain orientation information to UW System students
electronically.
SB-266.
Requires notice of various meetings held by certain bodies
in the UW System.
New Legislation
AB-558 Roll Call Votes (Rep. Rhoades).This bill would require that every vote by the Board of Regents be a roll call vote. This bill was taken up by the Assembly Colleges and Universities Committee this week.
SB-266 and AB-543.
(Sen. Reynolds/Rep. Suder) Expands
the open meetings law to include all university departmental
committees, subcommittees
and similar bodies which are currently
exempt.
AB 543 was taken up by Assembly Colleges
and Universities Committees this
week, and SB 266 will be taken up next week in the Senate
Higher Education and Tourism Committee.
AB-540. (Rep. Albers) This bill would create a UW Employee Code of Ethics to require that all unclassified personnel annually report to the System income received from any source other than direct pay by the UW System. This could include income from patents, royalties, honorariums, consulting services, and grants that are a result of the employee’s professional experience and expertise. The proposal bill also directs the state Ethics Board to maintain or participate in a site on the Internet where this information is to be posted and to charge the Board of Regents costs for services rendered. To Colleges and Universities.
Proposals Circulating for Co-Sponsorship
Financial Aid (Sens. Jauch and Schultz) LRB
3178
This proposal would restore the National
Guard tuition grant program.
UW Employee Code of Ethics (Rep. Albers and Sen. Reynolds) LRB 0165/3 & LRB 3213/1
Omnibus Issues (Rep. Schneider) LRB 2623/5
Rep. Schneider has presented the Board of
Regents with draft legislation that lists 16 unrelated new
or modified statutory changes in UW System governance. The
bill is not yet introduced and Schneider is requesting the
Regents to adopt most provisions by Administrative Rule.
Information on the Web
UW System Government Relations:
http://www.uwsa.edu/govrel/
UW System Budget:
http://www.uwsa.edu/budplan/
Wisconsin Legislature on the Web
http://www.legis.state.wi.us/
For further information contact Margaret Lewis (608) 262-4464 or David Miller (608) 262-4463