Month: April 2016

THIS WEEK IN SOUTH CAROLINA

House Ways and Means Chairman, Brian White (R-Anderson) and House Ways and Means Higher Education Budget Subcommittee Chairman, Jim Merrill (R-Berkeley), introduced H.5217 (Higher Education Bond Bill).  The bill was introduced as a shell bill so no specific projects are included at this time.

The House Higher Education Subcommittee adjourned debate on H.4833 (Higher Education Governance Act). With this action, the bill is effectively “dead” for this legislative session.

The House Education and Public Works Committee passed H.4795 (Palmetto Fellows Scholarship Program) favorably as amended. The bill now goes to the House floor.

The Senate Labor, Commerce and Industry Committee passed S.1177 (Licensure of Architects). The bill now goes to the Senate floor.

H.4717 (Farm Aid Bill) remains on the Senate calendar for second reading with an objection by Senator Tom Davis (R-Beaufort).

The House amended H.3579 (Transportation Infrastructure) and returned the bill to the Senate. The Senate had previously amended the bill to eliminate a tax increase to pay for road funding and instead required that the legislature appropriate $400 million in general funds annually to supplement the Transportation Department budget. The House vote dictates that the bill cannot be amended again.  The Senate must vote to concur or not concur. If the Senate concurs, the bill goes to the governor for her signature. If the Senate does not concur, the bill will go to a conference committee to resolve the differences in the two versions.

The State Budget Process
The Senate Finance Committee began their work on the state budget last week. They will continue budget deliberations this week.

Detailed information on Clemson’s 2016 state legislative and budget priorities for FY 2016-17 may be found at these links:
Clemson Education and General (E&G) Priorities
Clemson Public Service and Agriculture (PSA) Priorities

BILLS OF INTEREST

The Clemson University Governmental Affairs office is monitoring several bills that have potential impact on Clemson.  A complete listing of these bills may be found here.  Click on the bill number for a description of the legislation, along with the bill’s current status.

“Like” us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.

The Clemson Advocates website is constantly updated with news and information.

Click here to view the FEDERAL UPDATE for April 18, 2016.

CLEMSON ON CAPITOL HILL

Legislative Activity This Week
The Senate will convene today at 3:00pm. The House will meet at 12:00pm for morning hour and at 2:00pm for legislative business, with votes postponed until 6:30pm.

Senate Appropriations
On April 14th, The Senate Appropriations Committee released the FY17 spending allocations for its 12 Appropriations Subcommittees and approved the Military Construction-Veterans Affairs and Energy and Water appropriations bills. The Energy and Water appropriations bill is expected to be debated on the Senate floor this week.

In the absence of the budget resolution, the Senate is expected to approve a “deeming” resolution this week that sets FY17 discretionary spending at the level approved in last year’s two-year budget deal. House GOP leadership had hoped to work out a deal on the FY17 budget resolution with their conservative colleagues who want additional cuts, but were unable to reach an agreement. Absent an agreement, budget rules will allow House appropriations bills to go to the floor beginning May 15th.

House Agriculture Appropriations Bill
Currently, the House version of the Agriculture Appropriations Bill that was approved in subcommittee last week includes $375 million for the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI), a $25 million increase from FY16. AFRI is the Department of Agriculture’s premiere competitive research program.

Upcoming Hearings
–  April 19th – Senate Appropriations Subcommittee mark-up of the FY17 Commerce, Science, Justice and Related Agencies Act
– April 19th – Senate Appropriations Subcommittee mark-up of the FY17Transportation, Housing, Urban Development and Related Agencies Act
– April 19th – House Appropriations Committee mark-up of FY17 Agriculture and Energy and Water appropriations bills
– April 20th – Senate Appropriations Subcommittee hearing to review the FY17 budget request for Defense Innovation and Research
– April 21st – Full Senate Appropriations Committee meets

Click here to see the STATE UPDATE for April 18, 2016.

THIS WEEK IN SOUTH CAROLINA

The South Carolina House of Representatives has been on furlough for the past two weeks and will return in statewide session tomorrow.
H.4717 (Farm Aid Bill) was carried over last week and remains on the Senate calendar for second reading.

H.3579 (Transportation Infrastructure) returns to the House of Representatives this week. The House will debate whether or not to concur with the Senate’s amendments, which includes $400 million in recurring revenue.  A House ad hoc committee debated the bill last week.

Last week, the Senate confirmed all pending Commission on Higher Education appointments, including the appointments of Chairman Tim Hofferth and Commissioner Devron Edwards and the re-appointments of Commissioners Paul Batson (Clemson ’71), Allison Dean Love and Clemson Trustee Dr. Louis Lynn (Clemson’70, M ’73).

Senator Harvey Peeler (Clemson ’70) (R-Cherokee) stepped down as Senate Majority Leader on Tuesday. Wednesday, the Senate Republican Caucus elected Senator Shane Massey (Clemson ’97) (R-Edgefield) as the new Majority Leader.

The State Budget Process
It is expected that the Senate Finance Committee will begin their work on the state budget tomorrow.

Detailed information on Clemson’s 2016 state legislative and budget priorities for FY 2016-17 may be found at these links:
Clemson Education and General (E&G) Priorities
Clemson Public Service and Agriculture (PSA) Priorities

BILLS OF INTEREST
The Clemson University Governmental Affairs office is monitoring several bills that have potential impact on Clemson.  A complete listing of these bills may be found here.  Click on the bill number for a description of the legislation, along with the bill’s current status.

“Like” us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.

The Clemson Advocates website is constantly updated with news and information.

Click here to view the FEDERAL UPDATE for April 11, 2016.

CLEMSON ON CAPITOL HILL

Legislative activity this week
On Monday, April 11, the Senate will convene at 3:00pm. The House will meet in pro forma session at 3:30pm, with no votes expected. On Tuesday, April 12, the House will meet at 2:00pm for legislative business, with votes postponed until 6:30pm.

FY17 Appropriations
Both the House and Senate Appropriations Committees will hold subcommittee and full committee appropriations bill markups and release 302(b) sub-allocations this week, even without an approved budget resolution in either chamber.

This week’s hearings
Wednesday, April 13:
1)  The Senate Appropriations Committee Energy and Water Development Subcommittee will hold a markup of the Energy and Water Development Appropriations Act for FY 2017.
2)  The House Appropriations Committee Energy and Water Development, and Related Agencies Subcommittee will hold a markup of the Energy and Water Development Appropriations Act for FY 2017.
3)  The House Appropriations Committee Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Subcommittee will hold a markup of the Agriculture Appropriations Act for FY 2017.

Click here to see the STATE UPDATE for April 11, 2016.

THIS WEEK IN SOUTH CAROLINA

The South Carolina House and Senate were on furlough last week. The Senate returns tomorrow in statewide session. The House will return on April 12.

H.4717 (Farm Aid Bill) remains on the Senate calendar for second reading.

The State Budget Process
This week, the Senate Finance Committee will review all subcommittee recommendations and provisos in the budget.  The full Senate Finance Committee is scheduled to debate the state budget next week.

Detailed information on Clemson’s 2016 state legislative and budget priorities for FY 2016-17 may be found at these links:
Clemson Education and General (E&G) Priorities
Clemson Public Service and Agriculture (PSA) Priorities

BILLS OF INTEREST
The Clemson University Governmental Affairs office is monitoring several bills that have potential impact on Clemson.  A complete listing of these bills may be found here.  Click on the bill number for a description of the legislation, along with the bill’s current status.

“Like” us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.

The Clemson Advocates website is constantly updated with news and information.

Click here to view the FEDERAL UPDATE for April 4, 2016.

CLEMSON ON CAPITOL HILL

This Week in Congress
The Senate will convene on Monday, April 4, at 3:00pm. The House is not in session this week, but is scheduled to return on Tuesday, April 12.

Regulatory Reform Bills for Research Introduced
Last week, legislation was introduced in both the House and Senate to address the overregulation of research.

The Senate bill, Promoting Biomedical Research and Public Health for Patients Act, was introduced by Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee leaders Lamar Alexander (R-TN) and Patty Murray (D-WA). The measure, which focuses on regulatory issues at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), will be marked up in the HELP Committee later this week.

The House bill, the University Regulations Streamlining and Harmonizing Act of 2016, introduced by Rep. Dan Lipinksi (D-IL) as a proposed measure, addresses the regulatory burden on research across federal agencies.

Click here to see the STATE UPDATE for April 4, 2016.