Assigned to HEWD                                                                                             AS PASSED BY COMMITTEE

ARIZONA STATE SENATE

Fifty-Fourth Legislature, First Regular Session

AMENDED

FACT SHEET FOR S.B. 1340

ABOR; regents scholarships; report

                                        (NOW: ABOR; university scholarships; report)                                                            

Purpose

            Requires the Arizona Board of Regents (ABOR) to submit a report on the history of student scholarships (scholarships).

Background

            The Arizona Constitution establishes ABOR as the governing entity for Arizona's university system which consists of Arizona State University (ASU), Northern Arizona University (NAU) and the University of Arizona (UA) (Ariz. Const. art. 11 § 5). Statute provides and defines ABOR’s general authority related to the universities, including fixing tuition rates and fees, establishing curricula, designating courses and prescribing student admissions qualifications to the universities (A.R.S. § 15-1626).

ABOR authorizes public universities to award all financial aid which includes regents' waivers and scholarships.

            There is no anticipated fiscal impact to the state General Fund associated with this legislation.

Provisions

1. Requires ABOR to submit a report by December 15, 2019, on the history of the scholarships awarded at each university from calendar year 1980 through the effective date to the Governor, the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives.

2. Excludes private scholarships and grants from the report.

3. Requires the report to include:

a) a summary of the number and the dollar amount of scholarships that have been awarded in Arizona;

b) a summary of the past and current scholarship eligibility requirements; and

c) data on the number of past and current students that have qualified and received the scholarships.

4. Instructs ABOR to make a presentation to the Senate Higher Education and Workforce Development Committee, or its successor committee, during the 54th Legislature, 2nd Regular Session, on the information contained in the report.

5. Repeals the report requirements on July 1, 2020.

6. Becomes effective on the general effective date.

Amendments Adopted by Committee

1. Removes references to regents scholarships.

2. Removes the requirement for ABOR to provide a copy of the report to the Secretary of State.

3. Specifies that the history of student scholarships awarded at each university under the jurisdiction of ABOR from calendar year 1980 through the effective date, excluding private scholarships and grants, must be provided in the submitted report.

Senate Action

HEWD            2/18/19      DPA     6-0-1

Prepared by Senate Research

February 27, 2019

JO/CP/gs