2007 General Assembly Highlights 

The General Assembly convened on January 10, 2007 and is scheduled to adjourn sine die on February 24, 2007. 

Budget

Transportation.  Transportation funding continues to be the dominant political issue.  Republican negotiators from both houses have reached a tentative agreement on how to fund the Commonwealth’s transportation needs. The potential agreement would involve a long-term increased dependence on general fund revenues which could, in turn, decrease higher education future base adequacy and capital funding.  In addition, this could necessitate a greater reliance on tuition increases.  We will continue to follow these issues very closely. 

Unified Budget Amendment.  The Council of Presidents submitted three unified budget amendments on behalf of all of the higher education institutions in the state.  Through these budget amendments and in addition to the Governor’s introduced amendments, VCU has requested:

• $12,381,304 for base adequacy
• $2,150,702 for faculty/staff salaries
• $4,395,888 for financial aid

 The Governor’s introduced budget includes general fund support for VCU’s capital projects:

• $12,000,000 for the Medical Sciences Building, Phase II
• $3,700,000 for equipment for the Medical Sciences Building, Phase II
• $1,700,000 for the Music Center 

Base Adequacy. The General Assembly’s base adequacy funding model is used to identify the appropriate state funding level for each Virginia college and university.  The formula takes into consideration a number of factors, including enrollment growth, credit hours, and complexity of programs.   Dr. Trani, as a representative of the Council of Presidents, recently spoke to the higher education subcommittee of Senate Finance on the importance of appropriately funding base adequacy, faculty/staff salaries, and financial aid.     

Additional Amendment.  In addition to sustaining the Governor’s introduced amendments to the budget bill, VCU has submitted an additional amendment.   

• VCU Veteran’s Center (Del. Morgan, Sens. Lambert and Stosch) – provides $198,500 GF revenue to start the Center for Veterans’ Affairs at VCU. To find out more about this new center, please visit our legislative priorities at http://www3.vcu.edu/govrel/ga.shtml.

Budget recommendations from the House and Senate will be received on Sunday, February 4. 

Key Legislation

Out of the 2546 bills and resolutions that have been introduced, VCU is currently tracking over 300 pieces of legislation.  Bills of importance include:

·        Guns on Campus (HB 2300) – this bill would forbid any higher education institution from setting policies to prohibit the carrying of a firearm.  This bill is a top priority, and staff is working with other universities to address this matter.    

·        Admission for Unlawful Aliens (HB 1961, HB 2169, SB 1204) – These bills would either prohibit illegal aliens from being admitted to an institution or would ensure that these individuals pay out-of-state rates. 

·        Community College Transfer Grants (HB 1681, SB 749) – This legislation would set up a grant to pay individuals who have obtained an associate’s degree from a community college and then transferred to a 4-year institution, the difference in tuition and fees between the two institutions.

·        Certificate of Public Need (HB 2155, HB 2274, HB 2276, HB 2277) – VCU is working in conjunction with the patron and the Virginia Hospital and Healthcare Association to make sure we maintain the current system of COPN but add some efficiencies.