May 5, 2014
THIS WEEK IN SOUTH CAROLINA
BUDGET The South Carolina Senate Finance Committee completed their work on the state budget on Wednesday, April 30.
The Senate Finance version of the budget contains the following specifically for Clemson University:
Clemson E&G - $1 million in recurring funding for Student Career Opportunity Programs (on-campus internships) - $400,000 in recurring funding for Focus on Student Success (increasing 4-year graduation rates) - $1.6 million in nonrecurring funding for critical electrical upgrades
Clemson PSA - $750,000 in recurring funding for the Agribusiness and Emerging Farmers Extension program - $750,000 in recurring funding for Precision Agriculture and Environmental Technology Research - $3 million in nonrecurring funding for Agriculture and Natural Resources Research Equipment
The Committee also funded additional dollars for critical equipment repair and replacement for higher education institutions. Each institution's specific allocation will be distributed on a pro rata basis and will require match dollars.
The Committee included a 1.5% cost of living pay increase for state employees in their version of the budget as well as a $300 bonus for each state employee. The Committee's version of the budget includes an increase in the cost of health insurance for state employees, which will be paid by the state. Under this plan, state employees would see a small co-pay increase.
The full Senate is expected to begin deliberations on the budget tomorrow.
From a state budgeting standpoint, Clemson is considered two separate state agencies: a research university that receives an educational and general (E&G) state appropriation for teaching and student support, and a land-grant Public Services Activities (PSA) division that receives a state appropriation to support agriculture, forestry and natural resource Extension, research and regulatory programs.
Detailed information on Clemson's 2014 state legislative and budget priorities for FY 2014-15 may be found at these links:
THE CLEMSON UNIVERSITY ENTERPRISE ACT The Clemson University Enterprise Act (S.535) was introduced in the South Carolina Senate just over one year ago and passed the Senate on May 9, 2013. The bill was sent to the House of Representatives and referred to the House Ways and Means Committee. The committee has not yet taken action on the bill. The Clemson University Governmental Affairs staff continues to work with House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Brian White to get the bill heard in committee.
BILLS OF INTEREST The Clemson University Governmental Affairs office is monitoring several bills that have potential impact on Clemson. A complete listing of these bills may be found here. Click on the bill number for a description of the legislation, along with the bill's current status.
CLEMSON ON CAPITOL HILL
R & D Tax Credits On Wednesday, the House is scheduled to consider a bill (HR 4438) to permanently extend the research and development (R & D) tax credit while modifying the calculation method and the rate for the tax credit. As the temporary tax credit provision for qualified R & D expenses expired December 31, 2013, the bill: - provides a permanent simplified method for calculating the research credit with a rate of 20 percent, replacing the traditional 20-percent research credit calculation method;
- provides a permanent basic research credit and energy research credit (both with credit rates of 20 percent); and
- changes the base period for the basic research credit from a fixed period to a three-year rolling average.
Education Sciences Reform Act (ESRA) Also to be considered on Wednesday, under suspension of the rules, the Strengthening Education through Research Act (H.R. 4366) would reauthorize the Education Sciences Reform Act, aiming to improve the federal research structure to better provide states with access to useful data that can help raise student achievement levels in the classroom. Upcoming Hearings: - Tuesday, May 6: The Senate Budget Committee will hold a hearing on the FY 2015 Budget for the Department of Education featuring Secretary of Education Arne Duncan.
- Thursday, May 8: The House Veterans' Affairs Committee will hold a hearing titled "Defining and Improving Success for Student Veterans."
- Thursday, May 8: The House Education and the Workforce Committee will hold a hearing titled "Big Labor on College Campuses: Examining the Consequences of Unionizing Student Athletes.
The Federal Grant Process & Burdensome Regulations - Focusing the peer-review process and post-award oversight on merit and achievement
- Eliminating or modifying regulations that are ineffective or inappropriately applied to research in order to avoid waste of federal research funding and to accelerate scientific discovery and innovation;
- Creating consistency and standardization within and among agencies in all aspects of grant management; and
- Disseminating effective practices and models to create efficiencies that reduce Principal Investigator's administrative workloads.
These findings will likely inform current discussions occurring on the Hill regarding the National Science Foundation reauthorization and other discussions related to burdensome regulations. Although we do not expect standalone bills addressing some of the reports' findings to move through both chambers of Congress this year, various aspects of the report will likely be pushed by education and research stakeholders, including the Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities and the Association of American Universities. Both associations support the overall findings. FYI Members of the State 4-H Teen Council traveled to Columbia on Wednesday, April 30 for their annual legislative day. They visited with Senator Larry Grooms ('87, R-Berkeley) and Senator Kent Williams. They also met with Josh Baker of the Governor's Office and were introduced in the House and Senate.
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