Higher education commission.

WORKING DRAFT
2007
STATE OF
WYOMING
07LSO-0050

HOUSE BILL
NO.
HB0146

Higher education commission.

Sponsored by:
Representative(s) Illoway

A BILL

for

AN ACT relating to
Wyoming higher education; establishing a council on higher education;
creating
a task force to review and recommend higher education responsibilities assigned to the council subject to prescribed criteria; imposing reporting requirements;
providing an appropriation;
and providing for effective date
s
.

Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of
Wyoming
:

Section 1.

W.S. 21
‑
16
‑
1501
is
created to read:

ARTICLE 15
COUNCIL ON HIGHER EDUCATION

21
‑
16
‑
1501.

Council on higher education created; membership; terms; vacancies
; compensation;
initial terms;
meetings
, bylaws and regulations
.

(a)

The
Wyoming
council on higher education is created to consist of the following nine (9) members:

(i)

The governor or his designee as an ex offic
i
o member;

(ii)

The state superintendent of public instruction or his designee as an ex officio member;

(iii)

The president of the
University
of
Wyoming
board of trustees or his designee as an ex officio member;

(iv)

The chairman of the
Wyoming
community college commission or his designee, as an ex officio member;

(v)

Five (5) voting members appointed by the governor as follows:

(A)

One (1) member with background and experience in public post-secondary education programs at the academic level;

(B)

One (1) member with background and experience in public post-secondary education career-technical programs;

(C)

One (1) member with background and experience in private post-secondary education programs;

(D)

Two (2) members at large from among the residents of
Wyoming
.

(b)

All appointed members shall serve staggered five (5) year terms or for the remainder of an unexpired term, as applicable.
Vacancies
shall be filled by the governor. Appointed members shall receive
per diem and travel expenses in the same manner and amount as authorized under W.S. 9
‑
3
‑
102 and 9
‑
3
‑
103 for state employees when conducting official council business.

(c)

Terms for council members appointed under paragraph (a)(v) of this section to the initial council are subject to the following:

(i)

Members appointed under subparagraphs (a)(v)(A) and (B) of this section and one (1) member appointed under subparagraph (a)(v)(D) of this section shall serve a five (5) year term;

(ii)

The member appointed under subparagraph (a)(v)(C) of this section and one (1) member appointed under subparagraph (a)(v)(D) of this section shall serve a term of three (3) years.

(c)

The council shall meet not less tha
n
once every three (3) months and shall adopt bylaws and regulations necessary for its organization and the discharge of its duties as defined by law.

Section 2.

(a)

A task force is established to review and develo
p recommendations on the functions of the
Wyoming
higher education council created by this act, to be
comprised of
the following:

(i)

A representative
of the
University
of
Wyoming
board of trustees
as selected by the board;

(ii)

A member of
the
University
of
Wyoming
administration
as selected by the university president;

(iii)

A member of t
he
Wyoming
community college commission
as selected by the commission;

(iv)

A member of the
Wyoming
community

college commission
staff as selected by the commission
's
executive director;

(v)

A staff member of the
Wyoming
department of education with background and knowledge of the licensing and registration of private post-secondary education institutions under W.S. 21
‑
2
‑
401 through 21
‑
2
‑
407 as selected by the state superintendent of public instruction;

(vi)

A member of the
Wyoming
senate selected by the chairman of the education standing committee of the
Wyoming
state senate;

(vii)

A member of the
Wyoming
house of representatives selected by the chairman of the education standing committee of the
Wyoming
house of representatives;

(viii)

A member of the
Wyoming
state board of education selected by the board;

(ix)

A member of the governor's office as selected by the governor
.

(b)

Legislative members of the council selected under paragraphs (a)(vi) and (vii) of this section shall receive compensation, per diem and travel expenses in the manner and amount prescribed by W.S. 28
‑
5
‑
101.

(c
)

Not later than October 1, 2007, the task force established under this section shall submit
to the governor, members of the joint education interim committee and members of the joint appropriations
interim
committee,
a report of findings and recommendations
pertaining to the scope and extent of higher education responsibilities assigned to the council created by this act, which at minimum, a
ddress

the following:

(i)

Duties related to public and private higher education facilities and programs in
Wyoming
;

(ii)

Duties related to coordinating and increasing
the
effectiveness of higher education supported by the state;

(iii)

Duties related to the regulation and licensing of private higher education institutions and programs operating in the state;

(iv)

Duties related to the planning and regulation of orderly growth of state supported
Wyoming
higher education and the location of new facilities and programs;

(v)

Duties pertaining to the elimination and supervision of duplication and competition in state supported higher education programs;

(vi)

Duties pertaining to personnel, budgets, expenditures and administrative policies and procedures for
Wyoming
public supported higher education and the relationship between the respective boards of trustees of the state supported higher education institutions and their legal responsibilities for the management, supervision and control of
the

respective

institution.

(e)

Based upon the report received under subsection (d) of this section, the joint education interim committee shall develop recommendations and enabling legislation in sufficient time for submission to the
Wyoming
legislature at
the
2008 budget session.

Section 3.

Seven
thousand dollars ($
7
,000.00)
or
as much thereof as is necessary is appropriated from the general fund to the legislative service office
for
the expense
s
of the
legislative members of the
task force established under section 2 of this act. Th
is
appropriation is
effective
for the period beginning with the effective date of this section through June 30, 2008.

Section
4
.

(a)

Except as provided under subsection (
b
) of this section, this act is effective
July 1, 2008.

(b)

S
ection
s
2
and 3
of this act
are
effective
immediately upon co
m
pletion of all acts necessary for a bill to become law as provided by Article 4, Section 8 of the Wyoming Constit
u
tion.

(END)

1
HB0146