2018 -- S 2387

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LC004608

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2018

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A N   A C T

RELATING TO EDUCATION -- COUNCIL ON POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION

     Introduced By: Senators Miller, Sosnowski, Metts, and DiPalma

     Date Introduced: February 15, 2018

     Referred To: Senate Finance

     It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

     SECTION 1. Section 16-59-9 of the General Laws in Chapter 16-59 entitled "Council on

Postsecondary Education [See Title 16 Chapter 97 - The Rhode Island Board of Education Act]"

is hereby amended to read as follows:

     16-59-9. Educational budget and appropriations.

     (a) The general assembly shall annually appropriate any sums it deems necessary for

support and maintenance of higher education in the state and the state controller is authorized and

directed to draw his or her orders upon the general treasurer for the payment of the appropriations

or so much of the sums that are necessary for the purposes appropriated, upon the receipt by him

or her of proper vouchers as the council on postsecondary education may by rule provide. The

council shall receive, review, and adjust the budget for the office of postsecondary commissioner

and present the budget as part of the budget for higher education under the requirements of § 35-

3-4.

     (b) The office of postsecondary commissioner and the institutions of public higher

education shall establish working capital accounts.

     (c) Any tuition or fee increase schedules in effect for the institutions of public higher

education shall be received by the council on postsecondary education for allocation for the fiscal

year for which state appropriations are made to the council by the general assembly; provided that

no further increases may be made by the board of education or the council on postsecondary

education for the year for which appropriations are made. Except that these provisions shall not

apply to the revenues of housing, dining, and other auxiliary facilities at the university of Rhode

Island, Rhode Island college, and the community colleges including student fees as described in

P.L. 1962, ch. 257 pledged to secure indebtedness issued at any time pursuant to P.L. 1962, ch.

257 as amended.

     (1) Provided, further, that commencing September 1, 2018, a public transportation fee of

fifty dollars ($50.00) shall be assessed and collected each semester on students attending a Rhode

Island institution of public higher education, including the University of Rhode Island, the

Community College of Rhode Island, and Rhode Island College, in accordance with the

following schedule:

     Date assessment begins: Applicable class fee is collected from:

     September 1, 2018: Freshman and sophomores;

     September 1, 2019: Freshman, sophomores and juniors;

     September 1, 2020 and thereafter: Freshmen, sophomores, juniors and seniors.

     The student identification card issued to each student shall be prepared to serve as a pass

for transportation services furnished and/or operated by the Rhode Island public transit authority

for each semester when the fee imposed by this subsection is paid. The Rhode Island public

transit authority shall work with the respective Rhode Island institutions of public higher

education to enable student identification cards to be prepared to serve as a pass for the applicable

semester.

     (d) All housing, dining, and other auxiliary facilities at all public institutions of higher

learning shall be self-supporting and no funds shall be appropriated by the general assembly to

pay operating expenses, including principal and interest on debt services, and overhead expenses

for the facilities, with the exception of the mandatory fees covered by the Rhode Island promise

scholarship program as established by § 16-107-3. Any debt-service costs on general obligation

bonds presented to the voters in November 2000 and November 2004 or appropriated funds from

the Rhode Island capital plan for the housing auxiliaries at the university of Rhode Island and

Rhode Island college shall not be subject to this self-supporting requirement in order to provide

funds for the building construction and rehabilitation program. The institutions of public higher

education will establish policies and procedures that enhance the opportunity for auxiliary

facilities to be self-supporting, including that all faculty provide timely and accurate copies of

booklists for required textbooks to the public higher educational institution's bookstore.

     (e) The additional costs to achieve self-supporting status shall be by the implementation

of a fee schedule of all housing, dining, and other auxiliary facilities, including but not limited to,

operating expenses, principal, and interest on debt services, and overhead expenses.

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     (f) The board of education is authorized to establish a restricted-receipt account for the

Westerly Higher Education and Industry Center (also known as the Westerly Job Skills Center or

Westerly Higher Education Learning Center) and to collect lease payments from occupying

companies, and fees from room and service rentals, to support the operation and maintenance of

the facility. All such revenues shall be deposited to the restricted-receipt account.

     SECTION 2. Chapter 39-18 of the General Laws entitled "Rhode Island Public Transit

Authority" is hereby amended by adding thereto the following section:

     39-18-25. Use of student identification card as a transportation pass.

     The authority shall work in conjunction with the council on postsecondary education and

with the respective Rhode Island institutions of public higher education to enable student

identification cards to be prepared to serve as a pass for the applicable semester as provided for in

§ 16-59-9.

     SECTION 3. This act shall take effect upon passage.

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EXPLANATION

BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

OF

A N   A C T

RELATING TO EDUCATION -- COUNCIL ON POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION

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     This act would authorize and direct the council on postsecondary education to assess a

transportation fee of fifty dollars ($50.00) per semester to students attending a Rhode Island

public institution of higher learning. The student identification cards issued to students assessed

these fees would be modified to serve as a pass for services furnished and/or operated by the

Rhode Island public transit authority.

     This act would take effect upon passage.

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