With the floor cutoff passed, lawmakers return to the hearing rooms next week. On Wednesday the House Higher Education Committee is scheduled to hear SSB 5734 which would extend for another six years tuition setting authority for graduate, professional and out-of-state students.
In the Senate, the Higher Education and Workforce Development Committee has scheduled a Tuesday hearing on a bill that would revamp the financial aid system (HB 2021). Our request bill protecting private investment information supplied to the endowment (HB 1640) is up for hearing on Friday. On Wednesday the Senate Judiciary Committee has scheduled a hearing on an important bill that will bring needed uniformity to rules governing fund management by nonprofits.
A number of committees have left their calendars open, so additional bills may be added to agendas in coming days. Also, on March 19 the Economic and Revenue Forecast Council meets for its formal session. Last month the Council met for a preview, revising the forecast downward. No major changes are expected, but some slight adjustments may be made. Senate budget writers are expected to unveil their biennial spending proposal sometime after the forecast meeting.