House approves first of two efficiency bills

The state House of Representatives on Monday approved the first of two bills aimed at driving new efficiencies within the higher education sector.

House Bill 1736 was approved 98-0 and heads for the Senate where a companion bill is already moving. The bill would help reduce time spent on paperwork within human resource departments by authorizing the use of electronic signatures, would study various reporting requirements placed on colleges and universities and would allow the state to enter into a multi-state compact for the purpose of simplifying the delivery of online education to out of state students.

The other efficiency measure of interest to the higher education sector is sitting in the House Rules Committee awaiting a pull to the floor calendar. House Bill 1769 would provide colleges and universities more flexibilities in managing their capital budgets by allowing them to use minor works appropriations for small preservation, maintenance and enhancement projects under $5 million. The current threshold is $2 million. The bill also would remove the requirement for pre-design activities for projects under $10 million, allowing institutions to complete such projects in fewer budget cycles and avoid some inflationary costs. The current threshold is $5 million.