Month: February 2026

State Legislative Updates

February 23, 2026

THIS WEEK IN SOUTH CAROLINA

On Thursday, the House Education Committee unanimously passed H.4739 (Institutions of Higher Learning Campus Safety).   H. 4902, which addresses the release of revenue sharing agreements between university athletic departments and student athletes is scheduled for a hearing in the Senate Education Committee on Wednesday. Clemson’s Athletic Director, Graham Neff, plans to attend the hearing and support the legislation.

THE STATE BUDGET PROCESS

The House Ways and Means Committee completed its work on the state budget on Wednesday, February 18, 2026. Below is a summary of the items impacting Clemson University:  Education & General  $6 million recurring for SC FIRST (Tuition Mitigation)  $1 million recurring for Clemson University National Security Institute  $1.8 million nonrecurring Public Safety  $10 million nonrecurring for NextGen Computing Complex  Public Service Activities  $1 million recurring for Natural Resource Utilization and Planning Institute (NRUPI)  $2.5 million nonrecurring for Infrastructure and Safety Upgrades   The Committee included several items from the Executive Budget of impact to the University: $3.5 million in recurring lottery dollars for College Transition program scholarships (like ClemsonLIFE) $10 million in recurring lottery dollars for the continuation of the initiative to address the shortage of instructors in nursing schools The Committee included a base pay increase of 2% for state employees. The budget now goes to the House of Representatives which is scheduled to debate the bill the week of March 9.      The Senate Finance Committee has begun agency subcommittee hearings and will continue this process through the month of February.    President Bob Jones and Senior Vice President for Finance and Operations and Chief Financial Officer Rick Petillo gave Clemson’s Education and General (E&G) budget presentation to the Senate Finance Higher Education Subcommittee on Thursday morning, February 19.   Senate Finance Budget Subcommittees that hear Clemson’s budget requests: Higher Education Subcommittee: Chairman Ronnie Cromer (R-Newberry) Senator Darrell Jackson (D-Richland) Senator Tom Corbin Clemson ’87 (R-Greenville) Senator Ross Turner Clemson ’86 (R-Greenville) Senator Tom Young (R-Aiken)   Natural Resources and Economic Development Subcommittee: Chairman Tom Davis (R-Beaufort) Senator Kent Williams (D-Marion) Senator Tom Corbin Clemson ’87 (R-Greenville) Senator Mike Gambrell Clemson ’80 (R-Abbeville) Senator Stephen Goldfinch (R-Georgetown)   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 direct state funding and are considered self-supporting divisions of the University.

BILLS OF INTEREST

The Clemson University Governmental Affairs office is monitoring several bills that have a potential impact on Clemson.   A complete listing of these bills may be found here: VIEW BILLS.

NEWS & FYI

Please follow ClemsonGovAff on Twitter.

State Legislative Updates

February 17, 2026

THIS WEEK IN SOUTH CAROLINA

On Tuesday, February 10, the Senate Education Committee passed H.4902, which addresses public disclosure related to South Carolina’s Name, Image & Likeness statute.

THE STATE BUDGET PROCESS

The House Ways and Means Committee will begin work on the budget today at 10am.    The Senate Finance Committee has begun agency subcommittee hearings and will continue this process through the month of February.    President Bob Jones and Senior Vice President for Finance and Operations and Chief Financial Officer Rick Petillo will give Clemson’s Education and General (E&G) budget presentation to the Senate Finance Higher Education Subcommittee on Thursday afternoon.   Senate Finance Budget Subcommittees that hear Clemson’s budget requests: Higher Education Subcommittee: Chairman Ronnie Cromer (R-Newberry) Senator Darrell Jackson (D-Richland) Senator Tom Corbin Clemson ’87 (R-Greenville) Senator Ross Turner Clemson ’86 (R-Greenville) Senator Tom Young (R-Aiken)   Natural Resources and Economic Development Subcommittee: Chairman Tom Davis (R-Beaufort) Senator Kent Williams (D-Marion) Senator Tom Corbin Clemson ’87 (R-Greenville) Senator Mike Gambrell Clemson ’80 (R-Abbeville) Senator Stephen Goldfinch (R-Georgetown)   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 direct state funding and are considered self-supporting divisions of the University. Clemson’s state legislative and budget priorities for FY 2026-27: Education & General (Recurring/Nonrecurring) Tuition Mitigation – $24.5M   Clemson University National Security Institute – $20M  Clemson University Energy Center – $5M  Public Safety – $2M  Public Safety – $1.7M  NextGen Computing Complex – $60M  Maintenance, Replacement and Renewal Projects – $25M  Science Lab Building Construction – $35M  Clemson Center for Human Genetics – $20M    Public Service Activities (Recurring/Nonrecurring) Natural Resource Utilization and Planning Institute (NRUPI) – $3M  Protecting South Carolina’s Food Sources and Bolstering Agricultural Services – $2.6M  PSA Critical Infrastructure Needs – $4M  Strengthening Statewide Cooperative Extension Programming – $800K  Critical Infrastructure and Enhanced Biosecurity and Safety Upgrades – $18M

BILLS OF INTEREST

The Clemson University Governmental Affairs office is monitoring several bills that have a potential impact on Clemson.   A complete listing of these bills may be found here: VIEW BILLS.

NEWS & FYI

Eleven undergraduate student leaders are traveling to Washington, DC this week for ACC Advocacy Days on Capitol Hill. Students will meet with members of the South Carolina Congressional Delegation to discuss priorities impacting higher education, research and student success. Please follow ClemsonGovAff on X.

State Legislative Updates

February 10, 2026

THIS WEEK IN SOUTH CAROLINA

The House Ways and Means Committee (where the appropriations bill originates) continued agency budget subcommittee hearings last week. The full House Ways and Means Committee is scheduled to take up the budget the week of February 16.

THE STATE BUDGET PROCESS

House Ways and Means Subcommittees that will hear Clemson’s budget requests: Higher Education Subcommittee: Chairman Nathan Ballentine (R-Lexington) Representative Gilda Cobb-Hunter (D-Orangeburg) Representative Bill Taylor (R-Aiken)   Economic Development and Natural Resources Subcommittee: Chairman Leon Stavrinakis (D-Charleston) Representative David Weeks (D-Sumter) Representative Kevin Hardee (R-Horry)   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 direct state funding and are considered self-supporting divisions of the University.   Clemson’s state legislative and budget priorities for FY 2026-27: Education & General (Recurring/Nonrecurring) Tuition Mitigation – $24.5M   Clemson University National Security Institute – $20M  Clemson University Energy Center – $5M  Public Safety – $2M    Public Safety – $1.7M  NextGen Computing Complex – $60M  Maintenance, Replacement and Renewal Projects – $25M  Science Lab Building Construction – $35M  Clemson Center for Human Genetics – $20M    Public Service Activities (Recurring/Nonrecurring) Natural Resource Utilization and Planning Institute (NRUPI) – $3M  Protecting South Carolina’s Food Sources and Bolstering Agricultural Services – $2.6M  PSA Critical Infrastructure Needs – $4M  Strengthening Statewide Cooperative Extension Programming – $800K    Critical Infrastructure and Enhanced Biosecurity and Safety Upgrades – $18M

BILLS OF INTEREST

The Clemson University Governmental Affairs office is monitoring several bills that have a potential impact on Clemson.   A complete listing of these bills may be found here: VIEW BILLS.

NEWS & FYI

Eleven undergraduate student leaders are traveling to Washington, DC this week for ACC Advocacy Days on Capitol Hill. Students will meet with members of the South Carolina Congressional Delegation to discuss priorities impacting higher education, research and student success. Please follow ClemsonGovAff on X.

State Legislative Update

February 3, 2026

THIS WEEK IN SOUTH CAROLINA

The House and Senate met in perfunctory session on Tuesday, January 27.   Governor Henry McMaster delivered his final State of the State address on Wednesday evening, January 28. The prepared text of the Governor’s remarks may be found here.   The House Education Higher Education Subcommittee heard testimony on H.4739 (Institutions of Higher Learning Campus Safety) on Thursday and reported the bill favorably to the full House Education Committee. Clemson University Associate Vice President for Public Safety Kimberly Spears-McNatt testified before the subcommittee.

THE STATE BUDGET PROCESS

The House Ways and Means Committee (where the appropriations bill originates) continued agency budget subcommittee hearings last week and will continue this process through January.    On Tuesday, January 27, President Jones, along with Dr. Matt Holt, Dean of the College of Agriculture, Forestry and Life Sciences (CAFLS) presented the budget requests for Clemson PSA to the Economic Development and Natural Resources Subcommittee.     House Ways and Means Subcommittees that will hear Clemson’s budget requests: Higher Education Subcommittee: Chairman Nathan Ballentine (R-Lexington) Representative Gilda Cobb-Hunter (D-Orangeburg) Representative Bill Taylor (R-Aiken)   Economic Development and Natural Resources Subcommittee: Chairman Leon Stavrinakis (D-Charleston) Representative David Weeks (D-Sumter) Representative Kevin Hardee (R-Horry)   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 direct state funding and are considered self-supporting divisions of the University.   Clemson’s state legislative and budget priorities for FY 2026-27: Education & General (Recurring/Nonrecurring) Tuition Mitigation – $24.5M   Clemson University National Security Institute – $20M  Clemson University Energy Center – $5M  Public Safety – $2M    Public Safety – $1.7M  NextGen Computing Complex – $60M  Maintenance, Replacement and Renewal Projects – $25M  Science Lab Building Construction – $35M  Clemson Center for Human Genetics – $20M    Public Service Activities (Recurring/Nonrecurring) Natural Resource Utilization and Planning Institute (NRUPI) – $3M  Protecting South Carolina’s Food Sources and Bolstering Agricultural Services – $2.6M  PSA Critical Infrastructure Needs – $4M  Strengthening Statewide Cooperative Extension Programming – $800K    Critical Infrastructure and Enhanced Biosecurity and Safety Upgrades – $18M

BILLS OF INTEREST

The Clemson University Governmental Affairs office is monitoring several bills that have a potential impact on Clemson.   A complete listing of these bills may be found here: VIEW BILLS.

NEWS & FYI

Please follow ClemsonGovAff on X.