Signed by Governor Bobby Jindal

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to concur with Senate amendments and pass a bill establishing performance agreements for public postsecondary education institutions in exchange for greater operation autonomy of the institution.

Highlights:

-Authorizes public postsecondary education institutions to enter into initial performance agreements with the Board of Regents in order to be granted limited operational autonomy and flexibility; in exchange schools must commit to meet established targets in the areas of (Sec. 1):

-Student success; -Articulation and transfer; -Workforce and economic development; and -Institutional efficiency and accountability.

-Specifies that the agreements are to be 6-year agreements to be reviewed annually by the Board of Regents where the established targets for performance objectives may be modified (Sec. 1). -Requires, within 6 months after entering into a performance agreement, the institutions to provide information that will allow the auditor to analyze how well goals and objectives are being met and to perform an economy and efficiency study (Sec. 1). -Authorizes institutions that enter into a performance agreement to (Sec. 1):

-Increase tuition and mandatory fee amounts, to a certain limit; and -Have greater flexibility in carrying forward unexpended and unobligated funds from one fiscal year to the next, procuring information technology products and services, and adhering to state travel regulations (Sec. 1).

-Specifies that additional operational autonomies shall be identified by the Board of Regents based upon performances (Sec. 1). -Specifies that at the end of an institutions performance agreement, the Board of Regents shall determine whether to recommend a renewal of an agreement subject to approval by the Joint Legislative Committee on the Budget (Sec. 1). -Specifies that a renewed agreement must include a specific graduation rate, continue to make progress on other objectives and meet any additional objectives as determined by the Board of Regents (Sec. 1). -Specifies that at least 50 percent of funds retained by a public postsecondary education institution be maintained in a reserve fund and only used for preventative maintenance purposes (Sec. 1).

Full Bill Text

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass a bill establishing performance agreements for public postsecondary education institutions in exchange for greater operation autonomy of the institution.

Highlights:

-Authorizes public postsecondary education institutions to enter into initial performance agreements with the Board of Regents in order to be granted limited operational autonomy and flexibility; in exchange schools must commit to meet established targets in the areas of (Sec. 1):

-Student success; -Articulation and transfer; -Workforce and economic development; and -Institutional efficiency and accountability.

-Specifies that the agreements are to be 6-year agreements to be reviewed annually by the Board of Regents where the established targets for performance objectives may be modified (Sec. 1). -Requires, within 6 months after entering into a performance agreement, the institutions to provide information that will allow the auditor to analyze how well goals and objectives are being met and to perform an economy and efficiency study (Sec. 1). -Authorizes institutions that enter into a performance agreement to (Sec. 1):

-Increase tuition and mandatory fee amounts, to a certain limit; and -Have greater flexibility in carrying forward unexpended and unobligated funds from one fiscal year to the next, procuring information technology products and services, and adhering to state travel regulations (Sec. 1).

-Specifies that additional operational autonomies shall be identified by the Board of Regents based upon performances (Sec. 1). -Specifies that at the end of an institutions performance agreement, the Board of Regents shall determine whether to recommend a renewal of an agreement subject to approval by the Joint Legislative Committee on the Budget (Sec. 1). -Specifies that a renewed agreement must include a specific graduation rate, continue to make progress on other objectives and meet any additional objectives as determined by the Board of Regents (Sec. 1). -Specifies that at least 50 percent of funds retained by a public postsecondary education institution be maintained in a reserve fund and only used for preventative maintenance purposes (Sec. 1).

Full Bill Text