News

The General Assembly adjourned on Thursday, March 28, 2024, for the ten-day veto period. The final four days leading up to the veto period were very busy with many important pieces of legislation passing in the final hours. Below is an update on several pieces of legislation WKU has been tracking.

House Bill 1 (HB1), Budget Surplus

House Bill 1 is an additional appropriations bill relating to the budget surplus. The bill contains one-time funding for specific projects, such as infrastructure needs, programming, and some capital. Included in HB1 Free Conference Committee Report is $10,000,000 in fiscal year 2025-2026 to support operations at the WKU Innovation Campus. HB1 FCCR passed both Chambers Thursday and was delivered to the Governor. You can view HB1 FCCR here.

House Bill 6 (HB6), the Executive Branch Biennial Budget

The two-year Executive Branch Budget sets forth the funding for operations of Kentucky’s state government. The HB6 Free Conference Committee Report includes the following for WKU:

• A 4.5% inflationary increase to the base appropriation in the first year of the budget; the appropriation remains flat in the second year.
• $2,180,800 to offset the increase in the state fire and tornado insurance.
• The Gatton Academy received a 3% increase in the first year of the budget and a 6% increase in the second year.
• The Kentucky Mesonet funding remained unchanged.
• The performance funding pool was increased to $105,000,000 in year one and $115,000,000 in year two of the biennium.
• A second round of asset preservation funding was included without a university match requirement. WKU will receive $28,581,000 in asset preservation funds in each year of the biennium.
• WKU received $160,000,000 in state bonds to build a new Academic Complex facility.

HB6 FCCR passed both Chambers Thursday and was delivered to the Governor. You can view HB6 FCCR here.

Senate Bill 6 (SB6), an Act relating to postsecondary education institutions

Senate Bill 6 HCS has stalled in the Senate. SB6 passed the House on March 15 with the House Committee Substitute attached. The Senate has not taken any action to concur or not concur with the changes made in the House. You can view SB6 HCS here.

Senate Bill 191 (SB191), an Act relating to postsecondary education funding and declaring an emergency

Senate Bill 191 makes technical changes to the postsecondary education performance funding model. SB191 passed the Senate and the House Education Committee. SB191 is awaiting final passage in the House. You can view SB191 here.

Senate Joint Resolution 170 (SJR170), a Joint Resolution directing the Council on Postsecondary Education to conduct a feasibility study on expanding postbaccalaureate program offerings at comprehensive universities

Senate Joint Resolution 170 directs the Council on Postsecondary Education to conduct a study on expanding postbaccalaureate program offerings at comprehensive universities, including consulting with each president of a comprehensive university to consider a regional economic development or workforce development need that may be met by a postbaccalaureate program. SJR170 with House Committee Substitute passed the House Education Committee and is awaiting final passage in the House. You can view SJR170 HCS here.

The General Assembly will reconvene for the final two days of session on April 12 and 15, 2024. To view all legislation WKU is tracking click here or visit www.wku.edu/govrelations for other helpful resources.