Source: http://www.wvlegislature.gov/bill_Status/bills_text.cfm?billdoc=sb622%20intr.htm&yr=2013&sesstype=RS&i=622
Timestamp: 2018-01-23 23:26:29
Document Index: 759025265

Matched Legal Cases: ['§5', '§18', '§18', '§18', '§18', '§18', '§18', '§18', '§5', '§18', '§18', '§18', '§18', '§18', '§18', '§18', '§18', '§18', '§18', '§18']

(By Senators Kessler (Mr. President), Green, Kirkendoll, Barnes, Cann, Facemire, Miller, D. Hall, Boley, Carmichael, Chafin, Edgell, Fitzsimmons, M. Hall, Stollings, Sypolt, Tucker, Walters, Wells, Williams, Yost, Unger, McCabe, Palumbo and Jenkins)
[Introduced March 22, 2013; referred to the Committee on Education; and then to the Committee on Finance.]
A BILL to amend and reenact §5-6-4a of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended; to amend and reenact §18B-1-6 of said code; to amend and reenact §18B-1B-4 of said code; to amend and reenact §18B-2A-3 and §18B-2A-4 of said code; to amend and reenact §18B-9A-2 of said code; to amend and reenact §18B-10-1 of said code; and to amend said code by adding thereto a new section, designated §18B-19-19, all relating to higher education; providing additional authority to and flexibility measures for certain state institutions of higher education; excepting certain institutions from certain required reports to the Joint Committee on Government and Finance regarding real property contracts and agreements; modifying rule-making requirements and authority granted to certain institutions; modifying, reducing or eliminating requirements related to the review or approval by the Higher Education Policy Commission of capital projects and facilities, capital project financing, compensation packages for presidents, course credit transfer rules, tuition and fee policies and academic programs with respect to certain institutions; excepting certain institutions from the supervision of the Higher Education Policy Commission; excepting certain institutions from laws and rules relating to the administration of personnel matters, including classification, compensation and discipline; expanding the definition of “nonclassified employee” at certain institutions; transferring to certain institutions authority to approve tuition and fee increases; and providing flexibility and transferring to certain institutions the authority to undertake, develop, maintain and finance capital projects, campus development plans and related infrastructure and items.
That §5-6-4a of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, be amended and reenacted; that §18B-1-6 of said code be amended and reenacted; that §18B-1B-4 of said code be amended and reenacted; that §18B-2A-3 and §18B-2A-4 of said code be amended and reenacted; that §18B-9A-2 of said code be amended and reenacted; that §18B-10-1 of said code be amended and reenacted; and that said code be amended by adding thereto a new section, designated §18B-19-19, all to read as follows:
(a) The Secretary of Administration shall provide to the Joint Committee on Government and Finance a copy of a contract or agreement for real property exceeding $1 million and a report setting forth a detailed summary of the terms of the contract or agreement, including the name of the owner of the property and the agent involved in the sale, at least thirty days prior to any sale, exchange, transfer, purchase, lease purchase, lease or rental of real property, any refundings of lease purchases, leases or rental agreements, any construction of new buildings and any other acquisition or lease of buildings, office space or grounds by any state agency, but excepting the transactions the state institutions of higher education known as Marshall University and West Virginia University, and of the Higher Education Policy Commission, Council for Community and Technical College Education, state institutions of higher education and the Division of Highways for state road purposes pursuant to article two-a, chapter seventeen of this code: Provided, That a contract or agreement for the lease purchase, lease or rental of real property by any state agency, where the costs of real property acquisition and improvements are to be financed, in whole or in part, with bond proceeds, may contain a preliminary schedule of rents and leases for purposes of review by the committee.
(a) The commission is hereby empowered to promulgate, adopt, amend or repeal rules, in accordance with article three-a, chapter twenty-nine-a of this code, subject to section three of this article. This grant of rule-making power does not limit, restrict, supplant or supersede the rule-making authority provided to Marshall University and West Virginia University pursuant to subdivision (c)(3)(D) of this section.
(1) "Rule" means any regulation, guideline, directive, standard, statement of policy or interpretation of general application which has institution-wide effect or which affects the rights, privileges or interests of employees, students or citizens. Any regulation, guideline, directive, standard, statement of policy or interpretation of general application that meets this definition is a rule for the purposes of this section.
(3) The commission and council each shall promulgate a rule to guide the development and approval of rules made by their respective governing boards, including except for the governing boards of Marshall University and West Virginia University, each of which may promulgate and implement rules pursuant to paragraph (D) of this subdivision. The rules promulgated by the commission and council shall include, but are not limited to, the following provisions which shall be included in the rule on or rules adopted by each governing board of a state institution of higher education:
(D) A procedure for the governing board to follow in submitting its rules for review and approval to the commission and/or council, as appropriate, except the following conditions apply for the governing boards of Marshall University and West Virginia University:
(ii) The commission shall return to the governing board its comments and suggestions within thirty days of receiving the rule.
(f) The governing boards shall promulgate and adopt any rule which they are required to adopt by this chapter or chapter eighteen-c of this code no later than July 1, 2011, unless a later date is specified. On and after this date:
(g) Within thirty days of the adoption of a rule, including repeal or amendment of an existing rule, and before the change is implemented, a governing board shall furnish a copy of each rule which it has adopted to the commission or the council, respectively, for review and approval, except the governing boards of Marshall University and West Virginia University are subject to subsection (c) of this section.
(h) Annually, by October 1, each governing board shall file with the commission or the council, as appropriate, a list of all rules that were in effect for that institution on July 1 of that year, including the most recent date on which each rule was considered and adopted, amended or repealed by the governing board. For all rules adopted, amended or repealed after the effective date of this section, the list shall include a statement by the chair of the governing board, except for the governing boards of Marshall University and West Virginia University, certifying that the governing board has complied with this section when each listed rule was promulgated and adopted.
§§18B-1B-4. Powers and duties of Higher Education Policy Commission.
(12) Develop standards and evaluate governing board requests for capital project financing in accordance with article nineteen of this chapter, except that Marshall University and West Virginia University are not subject to this subdivision;
(13) Ensure that governing boards manage capital projects and facilities needs effectively, including review and approval or disapproval of capital projects, in accordance with article nineteen of this chapter, except that the governing boards of Marshall University and West Virginia University are not subject to this subdivision;
(14) Acquire legal services as considered necessary, including representation of the commission, its governing boards, employees and officers before any court or administrative body, notwithstanding any other provision of this code to the contrary. The counsel may be employed either on a salaried basis or on a reasonable fee basis. In addition, the commission may, but is not required to, call upon the Attorney General for legal assistance and representation as provided by law;
(19) Approve the total compensation package from all sources for presidents of institutions under its jurisdiction, as proposed by the governing boards, except the compensation packages proposed for the presidents of the state institutions of higher education known as Marshall University and West Virginia University, respectively, are not subject to the provisions of this subdivision. The governing boards must obtain approval from the commission of the total compensation package both when institutional presidents are employed initially and afterward when any change is made in the amount of the total compensation package;
(35) In consultation with the governing boards of Marshall University and West Virginia University, promulgate and implement a rule jointly with the council whereby course credit earned at a community and technical college transfers for program credit at any other state institution of higher education and is not limited to fulfilling a general education requirement;
(36) By October 1, 2011 2014, promulgate a rule pursuant to section one, article ten of this chapter, establishing tuition and fee policy for all governing boards under the jurisdiction of the commission, including except for Marshall University and West Virginia University, which are subject to and governed by the provisions of section one, article ten of this chapter. The rule shall include, but is not limited to, the following:
(4) Academic program review and approval for governing boards under its jurisdiction, except for the governing boards of Marshall University and West Virginia University. The review and approval includes use of institutional missions as a template to judge the appropriateness of both new and existing programs and the authority to implement needed changes.
(A) The commission’s commission may authority to review and approve academic programs for either Marshall University or West Virginia University is limited to programs that are proposed to be offered at a new location not presently served by that institution, but authority to approve those academic programs rests with the respective governing boards;
ARTICLE 2A. INSTITUTIONAL BOARDS OF GOVERNANCE.
§§18B-2A-3. Supervision of governing boards; promulgation of rules.
(a) The governing boards are subject to the supervision of the commission or the council, as appropriate, except in those instances where specific statutory exceptions are granted by law to for the governing boards of Marshall University and West Virginia University.
(b) The governing boards of all state institutions of higher education, except for the governing boards of Marshall University and West Virginia University, are subject to the provisions of law that relate to the administration of personnel matters including, specifically, articles seven, eight, nine and nine-a of this chapter and to rules promulgated and adopted in accordance with these provisions.
(1) The ultimate responsibility for developing and updating each master plan at the institution resides with the governing board, but the ultimate responsibility for approving the final version of each master plan, including periodic updates, resides with the commission or council, as appropriate.
(3) The plan shall be established for periods of not fewer than three nor more than five years and shall be revised periodically as necessary, including adding or deleting bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degree programs for all governing boards as approved by the commission or council, respectively, except for the governing boards of Marshall University and West Virginia University only, the commission may review, but may not approve or disapprove, additions or deletions of degree programs.
(f) Consider, revise and submit for review and approval to the commission or council, as appropriate, an appropriation request on behalf of the institution under its jurisdiction;
(j) Involve faculty, students and classified employees in institution-level planning and decisionmaking when those groups are affected;
(k) Subject to federal law and pursuant to articles seven, eight, nine and nine-a of this chapter and to rules adopted by the commission and the council, administer a system for the management of personnel matters, including, but not limited to, discipline for employees at the institution under its jurisdiction, except that the governing boards of West Virginia University and Marshall University each may administer its own system for the management of personnel matters, including, but not limited to, classification, compensation, and discipline of employees at the institution under its respective jurisdiction;
(t) Delegate, with prescribed standards and limitations, the part of its power and control over the business affairs of the institution to the president in any case where it considers the delegation necessary and prudent in order to enable the institution to function in a proper and expeditious manner and to meet the requirements of its master plan and compact. If a governing board elects to delegate any of its power and control under this subsection, it shall enter the delegation in the minutes of the meeting when the decision was made and shall notify the commission or council, as appropriate. Any delegation of power and control may be rescinded by the appropriate governing board, the commission or council, as appropriate, at any time, in whole or in part, except that the commission may not revoke delegations of authority made by the governing board of Marshall University or West Virginia University;
(v) Consult, cooperate and coordinate with the State Treasurer and the State Auditor to update as necessary and maintain an efficient and cost-effective system for the financial management and expenditure of appropriated and nonappropriated revenue at the institution under its jurisdiction. The system shall ensure that properly submitted requests for payment are paid on or before the due date but, in any event, within fifteen days of receipt in the State Auditor's office;
(2) Reports directly to the president or chief executive officer of the organization; or
(3) Is an employee of Marshall University or of West Virginia University who:
(A) Is determined by the president of the respective institution to be a critical employee; and
(B) Whose status as a critical employee as determined by the respective president is consistent with the rules of procedures established by the respective institution’s governing board for making such a determination.
§§18B-10-1. Enrollment, tuition and other fees at education institutions; refund of fees.
(c) The purposes for which tuition and fees may be expended include, but are not limited to, health services, student activities, recreational, athletic and extracurricular activities. Additionally, tuition and fees may be used to finance a students’ attorney to perform legal services for students in civil matters at the institutions. The legal services are limited to those types of cases, programs or services approved by the president of the institution where the legal services are to be performed.
(k) The governing boards of Marshall University and West Virginia University each may annually:
(1) Increase tuition and fees for undergraduate resident students to the maximum allowed by this section without seeking approval from the commission; and
(2) Set tuition and fee rates for post-baccalaureate resident students and for all nonresident students, including establishing regional tuition and fee rates, reciprocity agreements or both.
(k) (l) Tuition and fee increases of the governing boards, including except for the governing boards of Marshall University and West Virginia University, are subject to rules adopted by the commission and council pursuant to this section and in accordance with article three-a, chapter twenty-nine-a of this code. The commission or council, as appropriate, shall examine individually each request from a governing board for an increase and make its determinations as follows:
(a) The governing boards of Marshall University and West Virginia University each may take any action in this article that does not require approval of the commission.
(b) The governing boards of Marshall University and West Virginia University each may, without obtaining approval of the commission, take any action described or set forth in this article that otherwise would require the approval of the commission. The respective governing board shall provide notice of the action to the commission. If the commission requests additional information relevant to the action from the respective governing board, the governing board shall provide information regarding the action to the commission.
NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to provide additional authority and flexibility to the Boards of Governors of Marshall University and West Virginia University with regard to real property contracts and agreements, rulemaking, capital project financing, capital projects, facility needs, the setting of compensation of the president, course credit transfers, tuition and fees, academic program review and approval, personnel matters, and the definition of nonclassified employees.
§18B-19-19 is new, therefore strike-throughs and underscoring have been omitted.