THIS WEEK IN SOUTH CAROLINA
There are nine days remaining in the legislative session.
By law, the General Assembly must adjourn sine die at 5 o’clock on Thursday, May 11 but may return to finish work on the budget or other items agreed upon by both bodies. Since this is the first year of a two-year session, bills that did not pass this session will retain their current status and be carried over to the 2024 session.
S.314 (Higher Education Permanent Improvement Projects) remains on the Senate calendar for second reading.
S.173, which clarifies language regarding the procedures for promulgating regulations related to Clemson’s plant regulatory services is pending in the House Agriculture, Natural Resources and Environmental Affairs Committee.
The State Budget Process
The Senate completed its work on the budget on Wednesday, April 19.
The Senate adopted the Senate Finance version of the budget for higher education and includes the following specifically for Clemson University and Clemson PSA:
Clemson E&G
Recurring Requests
– Base Appropriations Increase (In State Tuition Mitigation)-CU requested: $12.1M (House recommended $13M) (Senate recommended $13M)
– College of Veterinary Medicine – CU requested: $2.5M (House recommended $0) (Senate recommended $12.5M)
– Experiential Learning – CU requested: $3.5M (House recommended $0) (Senate recommended $3.5M in the lottery)
Nonrecurring Requests
– Planned Maintenance and Renewal Projects- CU requested: $15M (House recommended $20M) (Senate recommended $15.6M)
– College of Veterinary Medicine – CU requested: $30M (House recommended $0) (Senate recommended $75M)
Clemson PSA
Recurring Requests
– Employee Retention & Recruitment – CU requested: $2.3M (House recommended $2.3M) (Senate recommended $2.3M)
– Statewide Program Support – CU requested: $1.9M (House recommended $1M nonrecurring) (Senate recommended $1M nonrecurring)
– Problematic Wildlife – CU requested: $954,400 (House recommended $954,400 nonrecurring) (Senate recommended $0)
Nonrecurring Requests
– Poultry Science Research Facility – CU requested: $4.5M (House recommended $3M) (Senate recommended $4.5M)
– Critical PSA Research Infrastructure and Dam Improvements – CU requested: $8.2M (House recommended $2.1M) (Senate recommended $4M)
– PSA Animal Farms Infrastructure: CU requested: $15.4M (House recommended $0) (Senate recommended $15.4M)
Background: Clemson University College of Veterinary Medicine
– Clemson has requested funding from the SC General Assembly to establish the College of Veterinary Medicine at Clemson University.
– The total cost of to establish the College is $285 Million in nonrecurring and 20.5 million in recurring funding.
– Last year the General Assembly funded $10 million in nonrecurring funds to conduct a feasibility study, begin the site selection process, and hire a dean. The feasibility study was completed and approved by the Clemson Board of Trustees in February 2023. The search process for a dean of the college is underway.
– The Senate version of the state appropriations bill includes approximately $90 million in nonrecurring and $12.5 million in recurring funds.
Money Provisos Impacting Clemson
– DHHS: Rural Health – Directs that at least $1M is recommended for rural health initiatives at Clemson University
– DAODAS: Addiction Research – Directs $3M for a SC Center for Excellence in Addiction for a collaboration between Clemson, MUSC, and USC
– DHHS: Alzheimer’s Research – Directs $10M to be used by the collaboration between Clemson, MUSC, and USC to achieve the Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center designation
Executive Budget items of impact to the University
– $4.1 million in recurring lottery dollars for students with intellectual disabilities attending college transition programs
– $10 million in recurring lottery dollars for the continuation of the initiative to address the shortage of instructors in nursing schools
$2500 compensation increase for state employees earning less than $50,000 and a 5% compensation increase for state employees earning more than $50,000. (House recommended a 3% increase for state employees earning over $83,000). The language (in proviso) that allows institutions the flexibility to reward based on performance remains in the bill.
The Senate’s version of the budget includes an increase in the cost of health insurance and an increase in retirement contributions for state employees and employers. The employee portion of both will be paid by the state. The employer portion of both will have to be covered partially by the university.
The budget now returns to the House for concurrence or nonconcurrence in the Senate amendments. If the House votes to non-concur in the Senate amendments, a conference committee will be appointed to negotiate the differences in the House and Senate versions.
From a state budgeting standpoint, Clemson is considered two separate state agencies: a research university that receives an educational and general (E&G) state appropriation for teaching and student support, and a land-grant Public Service and Agriculture (PSA) division that receives a state appropriation to support agriculture, forestry and natural resource Extension, research and regulatory programs.
The university also has auxiliary operations, such as athletics, student housing and dining services, which receive no state funding and must generate all of their own revenue.
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.
NEWS AND FYI
Please follow CU at the Capitol on Twitter. Current news coverage of interest may be found here.
