2015 Legislative Summary

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2. 2015 Legislative Report &
Budget Update (Tab HH)
COMMISSIONER DAVID L. BUHLER
Session Overview
• New revenue
• First weeks’ focus on existing budget
• 2% base budget reduction
• Record number of bills passed (528), over
half received final approval in last week
• Big budget items up for consideration:
• Medicaid expansion
• Fuel tax revision
• Prison relocation
• Criminal justice reform
• K-12 support (WPU+Growth, etc.)

3. 1) Legislation
Bills directly impacting
higher education in Utah
2) Budget
Operating and Capital
Development Budget
3) Next Steps
Efforts during interim and
in preparation for 2016
Legislative Impact on USHE

4. Legislation of Note
• Higher Education Performance Funding (SB 232, Sen. Urquhart)
• Math Competency Initiative (SB 196, Sen. Millner)
• UESP Amendments (SB 64, Sen. Weiler)
• College and Career Readiness (HB 198, Rep. Arent )
• House Resolution Regarding Math Proficiency (HR 5, Rep. Eliason )
• Exceptions to Privately Funded Scholarships (SB 253, Sen. Jenkins)
• Utah Education Amendments (HB 360, Rep. Christensen)

5. Other Legislation
• Amendments to the Procurement Code (HB 409, Rep. Snow)
• CTE Comprehensive Study (HB 337, Rep. Cunningham)
• Military Education Amendments (HB 233, Rep. Oda)
• Student Privacy Study (HB 68, Rep. Anderegg)
• Educator Licensing Amendments (HB 197, Rep. Coleman)

6. A lot of Effort
• Input on several bills that could have harmed USHE
• Provided fiscal input on 118 pieces of legislation
• Data inquiries, presentations, coordination with institutions
• Didn’t happen, but could have…
• Reduced requirements of Regents’ Scholarship
• Reduced award amounts of Regents’ Scholarship
• Prohibit higher ed institutions from accessing a high school
transcript without parent approval
• Open carry of guns on campus
• Allow concurrent enrollment courses to be offered by noncredit
institutions
• Etc.

7. Budget Update
Increased overall state tax revenues
• $389 million ongoing funds
• $250 million one-time funds
2012 2013 2014 2015
$408m $425m $397m
$639m

8. Historical Increases (State Tax Funds)
(Ongoing Funds)
7.2%
5.0%
12.6%
4.8%
-11.5%
-1.9%
3.2%
6.0%
11.3%
4.9%
-15.0%
-10.0%
-5.0%
0.0%
5.0%
10.0%
15.0%

9. USHE Priorities – Partially Funded
• Compensation $ 15,164,200
• Health Insurance $ 4,682,800
• Research | Graduate Programs $ 4,000,000
• Performance Based Funding $ 9,000,000
Ongoing $2,000,000
One-time $7,000,000
• Regents’ Scholarship $ 3,000,000
Ongoing $ 500,000
One-time $2,500,000

10. USHE Priorities – Not Funded
• Mission Based Funding
• Student Participation
• Distinctive Mission
• Statewide Programs
• Enhanced Cyber Security

11. Other Legislative Funding
• Engineering and Computer Science Initiative $ 4,500,000
Ongoing $3,500,000
One-time $1,000,000
• Math Competency Initiative (SB 196) $ 1,925,000
• Utah Wellness Program $ 1,500,000
• STEM Tech Pipeline - SUU/DSU (one-time) $ 560,000
• Demographic Decision Support - U of U $ 450,000
• Veterans Tuition Gap Coverage (one-time) $ 60,000
• Etc.

12. Capital Development
Regents’ Priority Institution Project Appropriated
1 University of Utah Crocker Science Center $34,000,000
2 Snow College New Science Building $19,927,000
3 Salt Lake Community CTE Learning Resource & Classroom Bldg. (Design) $ 3,000,000
4 Utah State Clinical Services Center $10,000,000
N/A University of Utah Huntsman Cancer Research Ctr. $ 9,500,000

13. Capital Development/Improvement
Operation and Maintenance
• New state-funded projects $ 3,485,200
• Non state-funded $ 1,424,200
Capital Improvement*
• 2015-16 Appropriation $64,769,600
*Capital Improvement ongoing base
budget is now $111,942,100, of which
higher education receives 50-60%.

14. Next Steps
• Performance Funding (SB 232)
• Work with Higher Ed Co-Chairs and Presidents to
implement
• Degrees and certificates granted
• Services provided to traditionally underserved populations
• Responsiveness to workforce needs
• Institutional efficiency
• Graduate research metrics (for research universities only)
• For Board Approval by July 2015
• Implement requirements from legislation
• Intent language

15. Thank You
Regents
Presidents
Institutional Staff
Legislative Reps
Commissioner’s Staff

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