Bill Text: CT HB06919 | 2015 | General Assembly | Chaptered
Bill Title: An Act Establishing A Task Force Concerning Outcomes-based Financing.
Spectrum: Committee Bill
Status: (Passed) 2015-07-02 - Signed by the Governor [HB06919 Detail]
Download: Connecticut-2015-HB06919-Chaptered.html
Substitute House Bill No. 6919
AN ACT ESTABLISHING A TASK FORCE CONCERNING OUTCOMES-BASED FINANCING.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Assembly convened:
Section 1. (Effective from passage) (a) There is established a task force to develop a strategic outcomes-based plan for financing higher education that shall be aligned with the goals and benchmarks for higher education recommended by the Planning Commission for Higher Education in accordance with section 10a-11b of the general statutes. The task force shall consider the interrelationships among state appropriations, tuition and student financial aid in developing such plan. Such plan shall include base funding of public institutions of higher education, an investment fund for public institutions of higher education and performance-based funding of public and independent institutions of higher education. For purposes of developing the performance-based funding component of such plan, the task force shall examine performance-based funding models, including, but not limited to, models implemented in other states, and consider the following objectives: (1) Rewarding public and independent institutions of higher education for (A) increasing the number of degrees awarded to residents of the state, including, but not limited to, degrees awarded (i) in areas with workforce shortages, and (ii) to students from underrepresented populations, and (B) increasing business activity in the state through research; and (2) rewarding public institutions of higher education for improving their productivity, which may be measured in part by decreasing the cost of earning a degree. For purposes of this subsection, "investment fund" means an account that shall fund projects and programs proposed by the public institutions of higher education that (A) meet criteria developed by the Planning Commission for Higher Education, in consultation with the president of the Board of Trustees for The University of Connecticut, the Office of the Governor and the chairpersons of the joint standing committees of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to higher education and appropriations, and (B) are in alignment with the goals and benchmarks for higher education recommended by the Planning Commission for Higher Education and adopted by the General Assembly in accordance with section 10a-11b of the general statutes.
(b) The task force shall consist of the following members:
(1) Two appointed by the speaker of the House of Representatives, who shall be faculty members of the Connecticut State University System;
(2) Two appointed by the president pro tempore of the Senate, who shall be faculty members of the regional community-technical college system;
(3) One appointed by the majority leader of the House of Representatives, who shall be a faculty member of The University of Connecticut;
(4) One appointed by the majority leader of the Senate, who shall be a representative of an organization representing faculty, administrators and staff of the regional community-technical college system;
(5) One appointed by the minority leader of the House of Representatives, who shall be a faculty member of Charter Oak State College;
(6) One appointed by the minority leader of the Senate, who shall be a faculty member of an independent institution of higher education;
(7) The president of the Board of Regents for Higher Education, or the president's designee;
(8) The Secretary of the Office of Policy and Management, or the secretary's designee;
(9) The president of The University of Connecticut, or the president's designee;
(10) The chief academic officer of The University of Connecticut, or the chief academic officer's designee;
(11) The chairperson of the Board of Trustees for The University of Connecticut, or such chairperson's designee;
(12) A representative of the Connecticut State University System, who shall be appointed by the Board of Regents for Higher Education;
(13) A representative of the regional community-technical college system, who shall be appointed by the Board of Regents for Higher Education;
(14) The president of Charter Oak State College, or the president's designee;
(15) The president of the Connecticut Conference of Independent Colleges, or the president's designee;
(16) The chairperson of the Planning Commission for Higher Education, or the chairperson's designee; and
(17) The chairpersons of the joint standing committees of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to higher education and appropriations.
(c) All appointments to the task force shall be made not later than thirty days after the effective date of this section. Any vacancy shall be filled by the appointing authority.
(d) The speaker of the House of Representatives and the president pro tempore of the Senate shall select the chairpersons of the task force from among the members of the task force. Such chairpersons shall schedule the first meeting of the task force, which shall be held not later than sixty days after the effective date of this section.
(e) The administrative staff of the joint standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to higher education shall serve as administrative staff of the task force.
(f) Not later than January 1, 2016, the task force shall submit a report on its findings and recommendations to the joint standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to higher education, in accordance with the provisions of section 11-4a of the general statutes. The task force shall terminate on the date that it submits such report or January 1, 2016, whichever is later.