The original instrument was prepared by Cheryl M. Serrett. The following digest,
which does not constitute a part of the legislative instrument, was prepared by Ann
S. Brown.
DIGEST
SB 446 Reengrossed 2016 Regular Session Hewitt
Proposed law requires the Board of Regents to conduct a comprehensive review and evaluation of
the educational demand of the state and its regions and provide a report to the Senate and House
committees on education prior to the start of the 2017 Regular Session.
Proposed law requires that the report shall include the following:
(1)A description of the state's educational assets.
(2)A description of the educational demands.
(3) A description of the gaps.
(4)Recommendations on how to efficiently and cost-effectively close the gaps.
(5)A discussion of the barriers to developing an integrated public postsecondary education
enterprise.
(6)An executive summary of recommendations to ensure the state's public postsecondary
education system is operating in a comprehensive, efficient, cost-effective and integrated
manner.
Proposed law provides that the Department of Economic Development, the Louisiana Workforce
Commission, and each public postsecondary institution, management board, and system must fully
cooperate with the Board of Regents and provide data and assistance as requested.
Effective upon signature of the governor or lapse of time for gubernatorial action.
(Adds R.S. 17:3140)
Summary of Amendments Adopted by Senate
Senate Floor Amendments to engrossed bill
1. Changes the provision from requiring the Department of Economic Development and
the Louisiana Workforce Commission to conduct the study to providing data and
assistance to the Board of Regents in producing the report. 2. Requires the Board of Regents to include in its report the following information
relative to a description of the state's educational assets:
(a) Information on programs offered including those below the certificate level and
noncredit technical skills courses.
(b) Reduces from 10 years to five years the amount of information to be included in
the report about each academic and nonacademic program including the enrollment
and completion data for each. Provides that the average program cost per student for
the current year at each institution must be included in the report.
(c) Specifics that the building defect data, including code violations, will be only for
the most recent twelve-month period.
(d) Adds the requirement that a prioritized list of capital outlay needs for both new
construction and deferred maintenance, with costs estimates where available be
included in the report.
(e) Changes the information to be included in the report regarding the percentage of
lower-level classes taught by full-time faculty to classes taught by teaching and
research assistants.
3. Requires the Board of Regents to include in its recommendation on closing
the gaps an option for privatizing higher education.
4. Requires the Board of Regents to include data on the financial impact of institutions
in the description of barriers in the report.
5. Technical corrections.