PRINTER'S NO. 539
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
SENATE BILL
No.170
Session of
2025
INTRODUCED BY MARTIN, APRIL 3, 2025
REFERRED TO APPROPRIATIONS, APRIL 3, 2025
AN ACT
Providing for funding for certain State-aided universities for
the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2025, and ending June 30,
2026, for costs basis, for frequency of payments and for
recordkeeping requirements; imposing a duty on the Auditor
General; providing for financial statements, for the
Agricultural College Land Scrip Fund and for restrictions;
and making appropriations.
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
hereby enacts as follows:
Section 1. Short title.
This act shall be known and may be cited as the State-aided
University Nonpreferred Appropriation Act of 2025.
Section 2. Definitions.
The following words and phrases when used in this act shall
have the meanings given to them in this section unless the
context clearly indicates otherwise:
"Auditor General." The Auditor General of the Commonwealth.
"Current fiscal year." The fiscal year beginning July 1,
2025, and ending June 30, 2026.
"Department." The Department of Education of the
Commonwealth.
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21 "Prior fiscal year." The fiscal year beginning July 1, 2024,
and ending June 30, 2025.
"Secretary." The Secretary of Education of the Commonwealth.
"State-aided university." The term includes:
(1) The Pennsylvania State University.
(2) The University of Pittsburgh.
(3) Temple University.
(4) Lincoln University.
(5) The University of Pennsylvania.
Section 3. Cost basis during current fiscal year.
Payments made to a State-aided university on account of an
appropriation under this act shall be made on the basis of costs
during the current fiscal year.
Section 4. Frequency and basis of payments.
(a) Monthly payments.-- Payments made under section 10(a) to
a State-aided university from an appropriation provided in this
act shall be made monthly during the current fiscal year.
(b) Estimated costs.-- The monthly payments shall be made to
a State-aided university under section 3 on the basis of
estimated costs. The estimate of costs shall be submitted by the
State-aided university to the secretary, the General Assembly
and the State Treasurer not later than 30 days prior to the date
on which the payment is to be made.
Section 5. Purposes of expenditures and statement of
expenditures and costs.
(a) Duties of State-aided universities.--
(1) A State-aided university shall apply the money
appropriated by this act only for such purposes as are
permitted in this act and shall at all times maintain proper
records showing the application of the money.
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30 (2) Not later than 120 days after the close of the
current fiscal year, the State-aided university shall file,
with the secretary, the General Assembly and the Auditor
General, a statement that specifies the amounts and purposes
of all expenditures made from money appropriated by this act
and other university accounts during the current fiscal year,
as provided in section 3, used as a basis for receipt of an
appropriation during the current fiscal year.
(b) Duties of Auditor General.--The statement of
expenditures and costs shall be reviewed by the Auditor General.
The Auditor General may, with respect to the money appropriated
by this act, audit and disallow expenditures made for purposes
not permitted by this act, recover the sums from the State-aided
university and transmit the recovered sums to the State
Treasurer. In respect to expenditures made by the State-aided
university from money other than that appropriated by this act,
the Auditor General may review only, and shall file annually
with the General Assembly, information concerning those
expenditures as the General Assembly or any of its committees
may require.
Section 6. Duty to provide information.
(a) General rule.--A State-aided university shall provide
full, complete and accurate information as may be required by
the department or, in the case of the University of
Pennsylvania, the Department of Agriculture, or the chairperson
or minority chairperson of the Appropriations Committee of the
Senate or the chairperson or minority chairperson of the
Appropriations Committee of the House of Representatives.
(b) Cost reduction reporting.--The Board of Trustees of the
University of Pennsylvania shall report, on forms provided by
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30 the Department of Agriculture, to both the chairperson and
minority chairperson of the Appropriations Committee of the
Senate and the chairperson and minority chairperson of the
Appropriations Committee of the House of Representatives by
September 30 of the current fiscal year, how State-appropriated
funds were expended for the prior fiscal year to reduce the
costs to Pennsylvania resident students or to provide services
to Pennsylvania residents. The Board of Trustees of the
University of Pennsylvania shall file a similar report by
September 30 of the fiscal year following the current fiscal
year relating to the current fiscal year.
Section 7. Financial statements.
A State-aided university shall present and report its
financial statements required under this act in accordance with:
(1) The generally accepted accounting principles as
prescribed by the National Association of College and
University Business Officers, the American Institute of
Certified Public Accountants, or their successors, or by any
other recognized authoritative body.
(2) The "Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Budget
Instructions for the State System of Higher Education, State-
Related Universities and Non-State-Related Colleges and
Universities."
(3) The financial reporting policies and standards
promulgated by the Federal Government and by the Commonwealth
that apply to the State-aided university.
Section 8. Agricultural College Land Scrip Fund.
The money of the restricted account within the Agricultural
College Land Scrip Fund is hereby appropriated for the current
fiscal year, in accordance with the act of April 9, 1929
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30 (P.L.343, No.176), known as The Fiscal Code, establishing the
restricted account.
Section 9. Restrictions, limitations and conditions on use of
appropriations.
The following restrictions and limitations apply:
(1) Money appropriated by this act to the University of
Pittsburgh may not be used for costs of personnel and
operations of an environmental law clinic.
(2) Money appropriated by this act to the University of
Pittsburgh shall only be used for costs directly related to
the provision of instruction for graduate and undergraduate
students and costs incurred in providing student-related
services and community outreach services consistent with the
existing laws of this Commonwealth.
(3) Money appropriated by this act to the University of
Pennsylvania shall be conditioned on continuing authority for
inclusion on the Board of Trustees of the University of
Pennsylvania of a minimum of four persons who are not elected
officials and who are appointed by the President pro tempore
of the Senate, the Minority Leader of the Senate, the Speaker
of the House of Representatives and the Minority Leader of
the House of Representatives for terms of office coterminous
with that of the respective appointing authority; and shall
be further conditioned on these appointees receiving full
voting rights as members of the board of trustees.
Section 10. Appropriations.
The following sums, or as much thereof as may be necessary,
are hereby appropriated to the boards of trustees of the
respective State-aided universities for the current fiscal year,
for the purposes and in the amounts as follows:
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30 (1) To The Pennsylvania State University, for general
support.
State appropriation..........................$242,096,000
(2) To The Pennsylvania State University, for the
Pennsylvania College of Technology.
State appropriation...........................$33,971,000
(3) To the University of Pittsburgh, for general
support.
State appropriation..........................$151,507,000
(4) To the University of Pittsburgh, for rural education
outreach.
State appropriation............................$3,791,000
(5) To Temple University, for general support.
State appropriation..........................$158,206,000
(6) To Lincoln University, for general support.
State appropriation...........................$20,848,000
(7) To the University of Pennsylvania, for veterinary
activities.
State appropriation...........................$31,560,000
(8) To the University of Pennsylvania, for the Center
for Infectious Diseases.
State appropriation............................$1,793,000
Section 11. Effective date.
This act shall take effect July 1, 2025, or immediately,
whichever is later.
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