THIS WEEK IN SOUTH CAROLINA In accordance with state law, the South Carolina General Assembly adjourned sine die at 5 o'clock pm on Thursday, June 4.
The Sine Die Resolution (H.4274) which was adopted by both the House and the Senate enables the General Assembly to return after sine die adjournment to work on the state budget, conference committee reports, and other items agreed on by both bodies. The dates for the General Assembly's return are June 16-18.
Since this is the first year of a two year session, bills that did not pass this session will retain their current status and be carried over to the 2016 legislative session.
The State Budget Process The Appropriations Bill (H.3701) is in a conference committee which will negotiate the differences in the House and Senate versions. Members of the budget conference committee are Representatives Brian White (R-Anderson), Mike Pitts (R-Laurens), and Bill Clyburn (D-Aiken) and Senators Hugh Leatherman (R-Florence), Harvey Peeler (R-Cherokee) and Nikki Setzler (D-Lexington).
The Budget Conference Committee began work on the budget compromise last week and will continue their work this week.
Last week, the House Ways and Means Committee passed the Supplemental Appropriations Bill (H.4230) that spends the additional revenues that were released by the BEA. Of the $415M that was realized, a majority was spent on the following: road funding, K-12 education, road infrastructure for the Volvo incentive package, and a state mandated employee bonus. No additional funding was included for higher education. The House adjourned debate on the bill last week and will continue their work when the General Assembly returns on June 16.
The South Carolina Senate continued deliberations on the Capital Reserve Fund (CRF) bill (H.3702). The Senate will continue their work on the Capital Reserve Fund when the General Assembly returns on June 16.
Follow this link for a chart detailing Clemson-specific funding in the House and Senate versions of the budget and the Capital Reserve Fund.
Detailed information on Clemson's 2015 state legislative and budget priorities for FY 2015-16 may be found at these links:
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 Patent Reform Update Last week, the Senate Judiciary Committee approved the PATENT Act (S. 1137). During consideration of the bill, the Committee approved an amendment offered by John Cornyn (R-TX) that alters the definition of micro-entity status in a way that is potentially helpful to universities, technology transfer organizations, and research foundations. The Committee also approved the manager's amendment, which clarifies that the burden is on the prevailing party to demonstrate that it is entitled to fee shifting. The Higher Ed community advocated for this clarification.
The House Judiciary Committee is scheduled to markup their version of patent reform, the Innovation Act (H.R. 9), as early as this Thursday, June 11th.
House Approves FY2016 CJS Appropriations Bill On Wednesday, June 3, the House of Representatives passed the FY16 Commerce-Justice-Science Appropriations bill (H.R. 2578) on a mostly party-line vote of 242 to 183. This legislation would provide $7.4 billion for the National Science Foundation (NSF), $50 million above the FY2015 level. The $50 million increase would be solely directed to Research and Related Activities (R&RA).
Legislation Addressing Campus Sexual Assault Last week in the House, Representatives Jackie Speier (D-CA) and Patrick Meehan (R-PA), along with 25 other members, re-introduced a bipartisan measure from the 113th Congress titled the Hold Accountable and Lend Transparency on Campus Sexual Violence Act (HALT Act). This piece of legislation would, among other actions, (1) allow students to bring civil lawsuits against colleges that violate the Clery Act; (2) provide additional funding for the Department of Education staff to address sexual violence; (3) require more safety notifications for students; and (4) create an interagency task force to examine survivor resources and Department efforts to carry out investigations.
Upcoming Hearings: It is expected that the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee will hold a hearing on the Higher Education Act (HEA), with a focus on accreditation, on Wednesday, June 17.
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