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ARIZONA STATE SENATE
Fifty-Sixth Legislature, Second Regular Session
tribal community college operations; appropriation
Purpose
Establishes the Tribal Community College Operations Fund (Fund) and appropriates $13,333,333 from the state General Fund (state GF) in FYs 2025, 2026 and 2027 to the Fund for outlined purposes.
Background
The Arizona Constitution establishes the Arizona Board of Regents (ABOR) to act as the governing body of Arizona's public university system. ABOR governs the three state institutions and is legally, fiscally and strategically responsible for the state universities (Ariz. Const. art. 11 § 5). Diné College and Tohono O'odham Community College receive a portion of transaction privilege tax revenues for support of the tribe's postsecondary institutions. The FY 2023 actual distributions included $890,700 to the Navajo Nation and $330,200 for Tohono O'odham Community College (JLBC).
SB 1501 appropriates $13,333,333 from the state GF in FYs 2025, 2026 and 2027 to the Fund for a total of $39,999,999 appropriated from the state GF.
Provisions
1. Establishes the Fund consisting of legislative appropriations, gifts, grants, devises and other contributions from any lawful source.
2. Requires ABOR to administer the Fund and distribute Fund monies to tribal community colleges in Arizona.
3. Declares that monies in the Fund are subject to legislative appropriation and exempt from lapsing.
4. Allows monies in the Fund to be used for operational expenses incurred by a tribal community college that includes expenses incurred to establish or provide instructional programs that will be offered by the tribal community college.
5. Requires the State Treasurer, on notice from the Arizona Department of Education, to invest and divest monies in the Fund and requires monies earned from investment to be credited to the Fund.
6. Appropriates $13,333,333 from the state GF in FYs 2025, 2026, and 2027 to the Fund and appropriates the monies to ABOR.
7. Becomes effective on the general effective date.
Prepared by Senate Research
February 12, 2024
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