Louisiana 2017 2017 Regular Session

Louisiana House Bill HB113 Comm Sub / Analysis

                    DIGEST
The digest printed below was prepared by House Legislative Services.  It constitutes no part of the
legislative instrument.  The keyword, one-liner, abstract, and digest do not constitute part of the law
or proof or indicia of legislative intent.  [R.S. 1:13(B) and 24:177(E)]
HB 113 Original	2017 Regular Session	Broadwater
Abstract:  Removes the sunset on the authority of the public postsecondary education management
boards to establish and increase student fees and extends annual requirement that they report
to the legislature relative to such fees.
Present law authorizes the public postsecondary education management boards to establish fees and
adjust fee amounts at institutions under their respective management and supervision.  Limits
application of such authority to the 2015-2016 and 2016-2017 academic years and terminates the
authority to increase fees pursuant thereto on June 30, 2017.
Proposed law removes the limitation on the exercise of this authority to these two academic years
and removes the June 30, 2017, termination of the authority to increase fees pursuant thereto.
Present law requires each management board to report to the House and Senate education
committees by Feb. 15th of 2016 and 2017 regarding implementation of fees authorized by present
law, including an overview of the distribution of the monies in the need-based financial assistance
fund as provided in present law.   Proposed law requires annual reporting in accordance with
proposed law; otherwise retains present law. 
Proposed law retains applicability of all of the following present law to continuing authority:
(1)Fee authority includes authority to impose per credit fees and differential fees for certain
programs and to charge proportional amounts for part-time students and summer sessions. 
(2)Except for the LSU Health Sciences Centers (LSUHSC), the pharmacy program at the Univ.
of La. at Monroe (ULM), and the Southern Univ. Law Center (SULC), the revenue per full
time equivalent (FTE) student from all tuition and fee amounts charged to a student plus the
revenue per FTE student from state and local appropriations shall not exceed the national
average per FTE student revenue from state appropriations, local appropriations, tuition, and
fees as reported by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) by Carnegie
classification, which maximum amount may be annually adjusted based on the most recent
funding statistics as reported by the NCES and adjusted to the current fiscal year (FY) using
the Higher Education Price Index (HEPI).  
(3)The total of all tuition and fee amounts charged to a student enrolled in the LSUHSC, ULM
pharmacy program, and SULC shall not exceed the tuition and fees charged, as reported by the NCES, of national peers selected by the institution, which maximum amount may be
annually adjusted based on the most recent tuition and fee amounts per FTE student as
reported by the NCES and adjusted to the current FY using the HEPI.
(4)Requires each institution to allocate not less than 5% of revenues realized pursuant to present
law to provide need-based financial assistance to students eligible to receive a Pell Grant.
(5)Prohibits revenues generated by fees imposed pursuant to present law from being used for
any other purpose except for support of the university at which the fees were collected.
(6)Provides that the fee authority granted by present law includes the authority to impose a fee
for the administration of certain student surveys.
(Amends R.S. 17:3351.20(A)(1) and (F))