ARIZONA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES Fifty-fourth Legislature Second Regular Session

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HB 2238: universities; public policy events

Sponsor:  Representative Kern, LD 20

Committee on Education

Overview

Requires the Arizona Board of Regents (ABOR) to establish, fund and staff an Office of Public Policy Events (Office) at each in-state university.

History

The Arizona Constitution establishes ABOR as the governing board of Arizona's university system, which includes Arizona State University, the University of Arizona and Northern Arizona University (Ariz. Const. art. 11 § 5). Statute provides and defines the general powers and duties of ABOR, including appointing presidents, fixing tuition, establishing curricula and prescribing qualifications for admission of all students to the universities (A.R.S. § 15-1626).

Provisions

1. Requires ABOR to establish, fund and staff the Office at each in-state university. (Sec. 1)

2. Mandates that each Office:

a) Organize, publicize and stage events that address, from multiple, divergent and opposing perspectives, an extensive range of public policy issues that are widely discussed and debated in society at large;

b) Invite speakers to participate in events;

c) Provide honoraria and travel and lodging expenses, if necessary, to persons from outside the university participating in events;

d) Maintain a permanent, publicly accessible, searchable and current calendar that lists all events of the Office events and specifies what the calendar must include;

e) Post the calendar online and prepare a printed copy for any member of the public on request and retain all calendars from previous years for public review;

f) Transmit annually, beginning September 1, 2021, a printed and electronic copy of the calendar for the previous academic year to the Governor, President of the Senate, Speaker of the House of Representatives and the Secretary of the State;

g) Make publicly available online a complete video record of every event; and

h) Open each event to all students, faculty and staff of the university and to the general public, unless otherwise restricted. (Sec. 1)

3. Allows ABOR to assign the duties of the Office to an existing administrative office at a university provided that ABOR designates an administrator in the office as the Director of Public Policy events for the university. (Sec. 1)

4. Requires the Office to report directly to either the university office that is responsible for reporting and analytics or to the university's general counsel.

5. Defines debate and group forum. (Sec. 1)

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9.                   HB 2238

10. Initials CH/EB       Page 0 Education

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