OFFICE OF FISCAL ANALYSIS
Legislative Office Building, Room 5200
Hartford, CT 06106 (860) 240-0200
http://www.cga.ct.gov/ofa
sHB-6374
AN ACT CONCERNING SEXUAL MISCONDUCT ON COLLEGE
CAMPUSES.
Primary Analyst: JS 4/5/21
Contributing Analyst(s): DC
Reviewer: SB
OFA Fiscal Note
State Impact:
Agency Affected Fund-Effect FY 22 $ FY 23 $
Legislative Mgmt. GF - Potential
Cost
Minimal Minimal
Board of Regents for Higher
Education
Various -
Potential Cost
None Up to 83,000
UConn Various -
Potential Cost
None None
Note: GF=General Fund; Various=Various
Municipal Impact: None
Explanation
The bill results in a potential cost to the constituent units associated
with the requirement for all institutions of higher education to survey
all students every two years, beginning in FY 23, regarding sexual
misconduct climate. The cost is potential because it is dependent on
the survey substance and implementation guidelines that will be
determined by the legislative council established by the bill. The
University of Connecticut will have no survey costs in FY 23 due to
preexisting plans but may bear costs in certain out years. The bill also
results in a minimal potential cost to the Office of Legislative
Management in FY 22 and FY 23, associated with the council.
Section 2 of the bill establishes a Council on Sexual Misconduct
Climate Surveys, which will be part of the legislative department. The
council members will be reimbursed for expenses necessarily incurred 2021HB-06374-R000260-FN.DOCX Page 2 of 3
in the performance of their duties. This potential cost is anticipated to
be minimal.
By January 1, 2022, and every two years thereafter, the council will
submit a report to the higher education committee including the data
points that each institution's survey must encompass, the
recommended sexual misconduct climate surveys, and the
recommended guidelines for survey implementation.
Section 3 of the bill requires each higher education institution to
survey its students regarding sexual misconduct climate in FY 23 and
every two years thereafter.
The potential cost of the surveys to the Board of Regents may reach
approximately $83,000 in every survey year (FY 23 and every two
years thereafter), based on past similar surveys carried out by a few
state universities. For example, Central Connecticut State University
(Central CSU) implemented a similar survey in 2020, including
students, faculty, and staff. The costs associated with the student
survey totaled approximately $22,450, composed of $6,875 for the cost
of using an established survey and platform, $5,500 in incentives to
encourage completion, and $10,075 in staff time to prepare, market,
and analyze the survey and its results. The survey used by Central
CSU has a slightly lower cost for institutions with fewer students,
resulting in estimated institution-based total costs for the four CSUs
ranging from $19,950 to $22,450. However, the cost is potential
because if the council prescribes survey data points that are limited in
scope, with no survey incentives included in the survey guidelines,
then the universities may be able to integrate the sexual misconduct
questions into existing survey efforts.
It is anticipated the community colleges (under the Board of
Regents) will have no cost due to the bill as they will likely use current
personnel and resources, including an online survey license and in-
house research staff, to execute the survey.
The bill results in no fiscal impact to the University of Connecticut 2021HB-06374-R000260-FN.DOCX Page 3 of 3
in FY 23 as the university was already planning to survey its students
that year regarding sexual misconduct climate, using an American
Association of Universities (AAU) survey. The AAU survey is
executed every four years; therefore, the bill will result in no additional
cost to UConn in mandated survey years that align with the AAU cycle
(FY 23, FY 27, et cetera). The estimated cost of the AAU survey is
nearly $100,000, including completion incentives.
The Out Years
State Impact:
Agency Affected Fund-Effect FY 24 $ FY 25 $ FY 26 $
Legislative
Mgmt.
(OLM10000)
GF - Potential Cost Minimal Minimal Minimal
Board of Regents
for Higher
Education
(BOR77700)
Various - Potential
Cost
None Up to 83,000 None
UConn
(UOC67000)
Various - Potential
Cost
None Up to 10,000 None
Note: GF=General Fund; Various=Various
In odd-numbered out years, the Board of Regents will experience
the same potential costs regarding survey administration as in FY 23,
subject to inflation. In FY 25 and other survey years that do not align
with the AAU cycle, the University of Connecticut is considering using
an existing survey with an estimated administration cost of
approximately $10,000 (subject to inflation). However, the cost is
potential as whether this survey is used will depend in part on the
parameters set by the Council. The potential minimal costs to the
Office of Legislative Management, associated with the council,
continue into the out years.
Municipal Impact: None