II.C.2 MARICOPA COMMUNITY COLLEGES OFFICE OF GOVERNMENT RELATIONS 49 th LEGISLATURE SECOND REGULAR SESSION 2009 Bills as Introduced As of February 8, 2010 HOUSE BILLS HB 2040 Colleges; Credit Transfer; Direct Equivalency (Representative Kavanaugh) Establishes a set of requirements for the system that permits and facilitates the transfer of credits for students who transfer from the community college system to the state university system. Requirements include establishing a "direct equivalency status" (defined) for certain courses. The Board of Regents retains authority to limit or exempt certain university courses from direct equivalency status if the board determines the courses are offered in "unique academic programs with specialized admission requirements" such that it is unfeasible other institutions could offer a suitable direct equivalent. Assigned to House Education, Appropriations and Rules Committees. HB 2113 Provisional Community College Districts; Property Transfer (Representative Konopnicki) A county that received real property from the former State Board of Directors for Community Colleges may transfer title to that property to a provisional community college before Jan. 1, 2013, without complying with requirements that the sale of county property must be via public auction. Session law only; does not amend statutes. HB2114 Provisional Community College Districts; Bonding (Representative Konopnicki) Authorizes a provisional community college to issue bonds for capital outlay in the same manner as any (non-provisional) community college district. Assigned to House Education, Ways and Means and Rules Committees. 1
HB2147 Eastern Arizona College (Representative Konopnicki) Provisions are set forth whereby Eastern Arizona College may offer four-year baccalaureate degrees beginning in fiscal 2011-12. State aid for the college is set at $5,564 per student enrolled in upper-class courses. Assigned to House Education, Appropriations and Rules Committees. HB 2212 Postsecondary Institutions; Housing Priority (Representative Barto) Universities and community colleges that maintain student housing must give housing priority to students who were in state custody as a foster child when they were at least 16 years of age, including priority to housing facilities that remain open during holidays and semester breaks. Passed House Education Committee unamended. HB 2250 Arizona s Job Recovery Act (Representative Adams) The state equalization assistance property tax is repealed effective tax year 2014, and a reduced rate is established for tax years 2011 through 2013. Reduces individual and corporate income tax rates each year for tax years 2011 through 2014. Reduces the property tax rate on class 1 property and class 6 property by 1% each year for the next 5 years. Repeals the temporary reduction of required income rates used to calculate unemployment contributions (previously set to repeal on Jan 1, 2012). More. Passed House; awaiting Senate Action. HB 2261 Community College Boards; Expansion (Representative Crandall) Changes the term of community college board members to 4 years, from 6, beginning with the next election after this legislation becomes effective. Adds 2 additional board members to the Maricopa County community college board, who are elected from the district at large. 2
HB 2271 Firearms; Prohibition; Postsecondary Institutions (Representative Ableser) It is misconduct involving weapons to possess a firearm on the grounds of a postsecondary educational institution. A violation of misconduct involving weapons that occurs at a postsecondary educational institution is a class 6 (lowest). Assigned to House Judiciary and Rules Committees. HB 2282 Government Transparency; Political Subdivisions (Representative Antenori) By January 1, 2013, local governments (defined) are required to establish and maintain an official internet website with an electronically searchable database of receipts and expenditures that is available to the public. Passed House Government Committee amended; floor amendment expected. HB 2299 Universities; Common Course Numbering (Representative Konopnicki) The AZ Board of Regents must develop and implement a common course numbering system for core curriculum for 100-level and 200-level courses in order to facilitate the transfer of academic coursework. ABOR must report to the Legislature on the numbering system by February 1, 2011. HB 2350 Purple Heart Recipients; Tuition Waiver (Representative Antenori) Requires the Board of Regents and community college districts to grant tuition waiver scholarships to Purple Heart recipients with a disability rating above 50% who were Arizona residents or were stationed in Arizona at the time of the injury. Assigned to House Education, Appropriation and Rules 3
SENATE BILLS SB 1007 Community Colleges; Additional Funding Sources (Senator Linda Gray) The list of discretionary powers of community college governing boards is expanded to include: (1) the sale of naming rights for college buildings, and (2) entering into agreements with third parties for the research, development or marketing of products developed through community college district research. Assigned to Senate Education and Rules Committees. SB 1011 Concealed Weapons; Faculty; School Grounds (Senator Harper) The prohibition against carrying a deadly weapon onto school grounds is lifted for firearms carried on the campus of a state university or community college by a faculty member if the person has a valid concealed carry permit. Held in Senate Public Safety and Human Services Committee. SB 1020 Government Service Contracts; Arizona Preference (Senator Pearce) In awarding contracts for services that will be paid with public monies and in cases in which a bid from an Arizona resident is within 5% of the lowest bid, agencies must award the contract to the Arizona resident as long as that person has paid property taxes in this state for at least 2 years prior to submission of the bid. Assigned to Senate Government and Rules Committees. SB 1153 State Preemption; Knives (Senator Chuck Gray) Local government is prohibited from imposing any regulation on the possession, carrying, sale, transfer or manufacture of knives (defined). A legislative intent section states that the regulation of knives is a matter of statewide concern. Awaiting action in the Senate Committee of the Whole. 4
SB 1175 Community College Boards; Membership (Senator Linda Gray) Caps the number of nomination petition signatures required for a candidate for community college district boards at 400. Adds 2 additional board members to the Maricopa County Community College Board, who are elected from the district at large. Held in Senate Education Committee. SB 1186 Postsecondary Institutions; Common Course Numbering (Senator Huppenthal) The community college districts and the AZ Board of Regents (ABOR) must develop and implement a common course numbering system for core curriculum for 100-level and 200-level courses in order to facilitate the transfer of academic coursework. Community college districts and ABOR must report to the Legislature on the numbering system by February 1, 2011. Awaiting action in Senate Committee of the Whole. SB 1275 Charter Schools; Sponsorship (Senator Linda Gray) The list of entities that may sponsor a charter school is expanded to include a state university, a community college district with an enrollment of at least 15,000 FTEs or a consortium of community college districts with a combined enrollment of at least 15,000 FTEs. Passed Senate Education Committee unamended. SCR 1034 Community College Expenditure Limitation; Exemption (Senator Linda Gray) The 2010 general election ballot is to carry the question of whether to amend Article IX, Section 21, of the state Constitution to exempt revenue received by a community college from a publicprivate partnership from a definition of "local revenue" for the purpose of calculating expenditure limitations. Assigned to Senate Finance and Rules Committees. Bill summaries provided by the Arizona Capitol Times. 5