A Legislative Report for Fort Hays State University

2019 Legislative Session: Week Four (February 4 - 8)

House Budget Committee Hears Presentation….The House Appropriations Committee on Wednesday invited the Board of Regents and representatives from the states seven public universities, community colleges and technical schools to provide campus updates. Dr. Tisa Mason, president of Fort Hays State University told committee members of the university’s 18 successive years of growth, affordability (5th lowest in-state tuition and fees in the nation among public colleges and universities), cost per credit hour and illustrated the quality of education provided…

• 100 percent pre-professional students acceptance rate; • 100 percent communications sciences disorders employed in field; • 100 percent diagnostic medical sonography pass rate; • 95 percent NCLEX_RN pass rate; and • 96 percent career placement rate within six months of degree completion.

She noted the university’s commitment to serving place bound students through the virtual college which has student in every state, 27 countries and every branch of the military.

If given the opportunity for additional funding this year, Dr. Mason told the committee FHSU hoped to expand the university’s social work program. Dr. Tim Davis, chair of the FHSU Social Work Department told the committee of the great need for social workers in western Kansas, noting that only 11 percent of the LBSW and LAC professionals in Kansas live and work in this part of the state. FHSU is seeking funding of a multi-tiered approach to attract students to social work, provide high quality professional education and retain these workers in underserved areas.

Budget Subcommittees Begin Their Work….This week also marked the beginning of budget hearings in the House Higher Education Budget Committee. On Thursday, Dr. Blake Flanders, President and CEO, , told the sub- committee that in 2018, there were 244,518 students enrolled in postsecondary schools in Kansas. He shared the board’s Foresight 2020 Strategic Goals: Increase higher education attainment among Kansans; Improve alignment of the state’s higher education system with the needs of the economy; and Ensure state university excellence. He noted that while educational attainment is good overall, there is a deficit in southwestern counties.

While appreciative of the Governor’s budget restoration proposal of $6.5 million, a 0.47 percent increase, Flanders noted that it would take $37 million to keep pace with inflationary costs. The Board of Regents has asked for $50.0 million in the FY 2020 budget. He noted that Kansas falls far short of our neighboring states in Student Financial Aid. Kansas awards $20.5 million; however, Colorado is at $170.0 million;

Nebraska at $161.6 million; Iowa at $68.2 million; Missouri at $129.6 million; Arkansas at $120.6 million; and Oklahoma at $102.3 million.

Next week, each university will have the opportunity to highlight the achievements of their school and talk about state funding to keep postsecondary education affordable, accessible and of good quality with the end goal of supporting economic growth in the Kansas workforce.

Deadlines Approaching….Legislators who made campaign promises about moving certain pieces of legislation this session have a number of important deadlines in the week ahead.

* Monday, February 11, is the last day for non-exempt committees to request bill drafts. * Wednesday, February 13, is the last day for bill introductions by legislative members. * Friday, February 15, is the last day for non-exempt committee bills to be introduced.

After this week, committee chairs will be scheduling hearings on bills assigned to their committees for hearings and deliberations. Monday, February 25, is the last day for committees to meet in each house until March 6. The following two days, February 26- 27, will be long days of floor consideration of those bills which have been passed out of committee. Only those bills which have been successfully passed will move forward by Turnaround Day, Thursday, February 28. The only exception will be those bills which have been assigned or temporarily assigned to exempt committees - Appropriations, Ways and Means, Assessment and Taxation, Taxation, Federal and State Affairs and Calendar and Printing.

Bills to Watch….

SB 11: Establishing the licensure for dental therapists (Public Health and Welfare) SB 23: Enacting the Kansas sports wagering act (Federal and State Affairs) SB 47: Creating the student opportunity scholarship program (Education) SB 57: Relating to contracts for information technology projects; review by joint committee on information technology (Ways and Means) SB 71: Relating to the board of regents; eliminating the expiration of the postsecondary technical education authority; requiring an annual report (Education) Hearing 2/5 SB 72: Concerning appropriations for the fiscal years ending June 30, 2019, June 30, 2020, June 30, 2021, June 30, 2022, June 30, 2023, and June 30, 2024, for state agencies (Ways and Means) SB 75: Concerning appropriations for the fiscal years ending June 30, 2020, June 30, 2021 and June 30, 2022 for state agencies (Ways and Means) HB 2011: Sales tax exemption for required textbooks (Taxation) Hearing Tuesday, February 12, 3:30 p.m.

HB 2032: Creating the Kansas sports wagering act (Federal and State Affairs) HB 2121: Concerning appropriations for the fiscal years ending June 30, 2019, June 30, 2020, June 30, 2021, June 30, 2022, June 30, 2023, and June 30, 2024, for state agencies (Appropriations) Hearing Wednesday, February 13, 9:00 a.m., Rm. 112-N HB 2122: Concerning appropriations for the fiscal years ending June 30, 2020, June 30, 2021 and June 30, 2022 for state agencies. (Appropriations) HB 2123: Relating to the Kansas national guard educational assistance act; participant qualifications (Veterans and Military) Hearing Thursday, February 14, 9:00 a.m., Rm. 218-N HB 2153: Relating to student religious associations (Federal and State)

Upcoming Meetings of Interest….

Tuesday, February 12

1:30 p.m. Higher Education Budget — 281-N Budget hearing:

3:30 p.m. Taxation — 112-N Hearing on HB 2011: Sales tax exemption for required textbooks

Wednesday, February 13

1:30 p.m. Higher Education Budget — 281-N Budget hearing: ; Fort Hays State University

Thursday, February 14

1:30 p.m. Higher Education Budget — 281-N Budget hearing: Kansas University;

Resource: Additional information about the Kansas Legislature and the 2019 legislative session see — www.kslegislature.org

Kansas Legislative Hotline: 1-800-432-3924 (in-state); 1-785-296-2149 (out of state)

For additional information, please contact Jennie Rose at [email protected]