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Legislative Update

September 2, 2005

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Last week President Reilly called for a Legislative Audit Bureau audit of university employment policies and practices, as a complement to a current internal review. See news release at: http://www.wisconsin.edu/news/2005/r050823.htm.

Legislative Action

AB 378, relating to college re-enrollment of persons called into active military service, was passed by the Senate Veterans, Homeland Security, Military Affairs, Small Business and Government Reform Committee by a vote of 5-0. The bill now goes to the full Senate.

The Assembly Labor Committee held a public hearing this week on AB 383, requiring criminal history background investigations of applicants for certain state government positions. Rep. Kestell, the author of the bill is expected to offer an amendment that would narrow the scope of these investigations to persons who would have a defined “fiduciary” responsibility.

Legislation Introduced

Sen. Fitzgerald has introduced SB 293, a bill allowing an individual income tax deduction for certain amounts contributed to any section 529 college tuition program. The bill has been referred to the Joint Committee on Finance. For more information, please see:

http://www.legis.state.wi.us/2005/data/SB-293.pdf

Legislative Hearings

The Assembly Colleges and Universities Committee will hold a public hearing on Tuesday, September 6 at 10 a.m. in 225 Northwest.

UW System officials have been invited to update the committee on the Appointment, Payroll and Benefits System (APBS).

Public testimony will be received on:

AB-387. Expands the nursing student loan forgiveness program to students enrolled in masters programs.

AB-595. Allows collegiate transfer programs in technical college districts where there are no two-year UW Colleges.

An executive session may be held on the above bills, plus
AB-297. Creates income/franchise tax credit for businesses that pay tuition for an individual to attend a college, university or technical college.
AB-439. Requires a public hearing by the Board of Regents when salary and other compensation paid to University of Wisconsin System senior executives is established or changed. The broad language would interfere with the negotiation and hiring process.

The Joint Audit Committee has scheduled a public hearing on Tuesday, September 13 at 10:00 a.m. in Room 411 South. One of the items the committee will take up is an informational hearing on UW System employment practices (Invited speakers only)

Congressional Update

Congress returned from the summer district work period early to take action on $10.5 billion in emergency funds to respond to the Hurricane Katrina devastation. The appropriation will be the first payment in what will be a costly, multi-year federal commitment for relief and rebuilding efforts in the Gulf Coast region of the country.

A budget reconciliation bill will also be considered when Congress returns. The fiscal 2006 budget agreement (H.Con.Res. 95) calls for $35 billion in controversial cuts to mandatory spending and a $70 billion package of tax cuts. Economists predict the relief and rebuilding efforts will cost tens of billions of dollars – federal assistance that will further hamper part or all of the budget savings congressional leadership was hoping to achieve.

HEA Reauthorization:

UW System has transmitted to the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions their views on issues related to the reauthorization of the Higher Education Act. Issues covered in the letter include amending the bill to define the terms “different campus” and “different population” for the purpose of the Student Support Services program; opposing a change in the campus-based financial aid program formula; and urging the Senate HELP Committee to eliminate or amend the college affordability index proposed in H.R. 609, the College Access and Opportunity Act, recently passed by the full Education and Workforce Committee in the U.S. House. Deliberations on the HEA reauthorization continue over the next several weeks. See letter at: http://www.uwsa.edu/execvp/govrel/lupdate/2005/09-2005/SenEnzi-Kennedy8-05.pdf

Nurse Faculty Education Act:

UW System Deans of Nursing sent correspondence this week asking Wisconsin’s Congressional delegation to cosponsor a proposal that would increase the number of doctorally prepared nurses needed to assume faculty positions at nursing schools nationwide. In Wisconsin, we anticipate a 20 percent shortfall in nurses over the next decade. Presently, every nursing school at Wisconsin public and private universities and colleges and Wisconsin Technical College system institutions has a waiting list of qualified applicants to nursing programs. A critical limiting factor is the difficulty in finding enough qualified faculty members to teach. Legislation championed in the House and the Senate seeks to increase enrollments and graduations from doctoral nursing programs and increase the number of doctorally prepared nurses who serve as nurse educators. See letter at:

http://www.uwsa.edu/execvp/govrel/lupdate/2005/09-2005/S1575-letter.pdf

Bills and Board of Regents positions are posted at:

www.uwsa.edu/execvp/govrel/pending/index.htm

For further information, contact Margaret Lewis at (608) 262-4464.