HCSHBs616&90--CONFERDEGREESATPUBLICINSTITUTIONSOFHIGHER
EDUCATION
SPONSOR: Stinnett
COMMITTEEACTION:Voted"DoPasswithHCS"bytheStanding
CommitteeonHigherEducationandWorkforceDevelopmentbyavote
of11to3.
ThefollowingisasummaryoftheHouseCommitteeSubstitutefor
HBs616&90.
Thisbillrelatestotheauthoritytoconferdegreesatpublic
institutionsofhighereducation.
Thebillrepealsthefollowingprovisions:
(1)TheUniversityofMissouriistheState’sonlypublicresearch
universityandtheexclusivegrantorofresearchdoctoratesand
first-professionaldegrees,includingdentistry,law,medicine,
optometry,pharmacy,andveterinarymedicine(Section172.280,
RSMo);
(2)Degreesinpodiatryandchiropracticandosteopathicmedicine
maybeconferredonlybytheUniversityofMissouriorbyapublic
institutionofhighereducationincollaborationwiththe
UniversityofMissouri,withtheUniversityofMissouribeingthe
degree-grantinginstitution,unlesstheUniversityofMissouri
declinestocollaboratewiththeinstitution(Section173.005);and
(3)DegreesinengineeringmaybeconferredonlybytheUniversity
ofMissouriorbyapublicinstitutionofhighereducationin
collaborationwiththeUniversityofMissouri,withtheUniversity
ofMissouribeingthedegree-grantinginstitution,unlessthe
UniversityofMissourideclinestocollaboratewiththeinstitution
(Section174.160).
ThisbillisthesameasHB1497(2024).
Thefollowingisasummaryofthepublictestimonyfromthe
committeehearing. Thetestimonywasbasedontheintroduced
versionofthebill.
PROPONENTS: Supporterssaythatthisisamuchneededchangeto
thecurrentsystemthatallowsoneuniversityintheStatetobe
restrictiveandmonopolizethedegreesandprograms. Missouriis
oneofthemostrestrictivewhenitcomestoPhDprogramsandthe
onlystatethatlimitsengineeringdegreeprograms. Thecostof
creatinganewprogramwouldbeuptotheuniversitiesandonly expansionthatmadesensewouldbeundergone. Thisisaboutpower
andcontrolfromasmallgroupandexpandingoptionsfor
Missouriansisinthebestinterestofthestate.
TestifyinginpersonforthebillwereRepresentative Stinnett;
ArnieDienoff;TomStrong;JohnM.Hutchinson;Dr.Richard
Williams,MissouriStateUniversity;andPeterHerschend.
OPPONENTS: Thosewhoopposethebillsaythatthiswoulddilute
alreadystretchedresourcesoftheStatetoexpandprogramsthat
arealreadyanoption.Currently,universitiescanpartnerwith
theUniversityofMissouritoprovideover10doctoraldegreesand
therehavebeenover200programspresentedtotheboardwithonly
threedeniedsince2017.Thisbillisaduplicationofresources
andwouldlowerthequalityofdegrees.
TestifyinginpersonagainstthebillwereUniversityofMissouri;
andCharles(Chuck)Brazeale.
Writtentestimonyhasbeensubmittedforthisbill.Thefull
writtentestimonyandwitnessestestifyingonlinecanbefound
underTestimonyonthebillpageontheHousewebsite.