The original instrument and the following digest, which constitutes no part of the
legislative instrument, were prepared by Cheryl Serrett.
DIGEST
SB 32 Engrossed 2020 Second Extraordinary Session Fields
Present law provides for the Louisiana Granting Resources and Autonomy for Diplomas Act (GRAD
Act). The GRAD Act provides public postsecondary institutions that achieve specific, measurable
performance objectives aimed at improving college completion and at meeting the state's current and
future workforce and economic development needs be granted limited tuition and operational
autonomy for achieving such objectives. Present law further provides that a public postsecondary
education institution with clean financial audit findings may exercise certain operational autonomies
until July 1, 2020, if the institution's management board approves the exercise of autonomies by any
institution in the system.
Present law provides for the following operational autonomies:
(1)Authority to retain funds unexpended and unobligated at the end of the fiscal year for use at
the institution's discretion.
(2)Authority to identify and dispose of obsolete equipment.
(3)Authority to be excluded by the division of administration from any table of organization.
(4)Authority to participate in the higher education procurement code as established by Louisiana
State University and approved by the division of administration.
(5)Exemption from participation in the state's risk management program pursuant to certain
conditions.
(6)Authority to administer facilities projects funded with self-generated revenue, federal funds,
donations, grants, or revenue bonds.
(7)Authority to invest certain funds in certain bonds.
Proposed law recodifies the authority for operational autonomies and removes the "sunset" date for
such authority.
Proposed law expands the autonomy to use unexpended and unobligated funds.
Proposed law authorizes cooperative procurement under the higher education procurement code for
institutions within a system.
Effective upon signature of the governor or lapse of time for gubernatorial action. (Adds R.S. 17:3393)