This week the Senate and the House turned their full attention to the fiscal committees. All bills with a fiscal impact must have passed out of their respective fiscal committee by February 7.

Over the last two days the Senate and House Ways & Means Committees have held marathon sessions to move bills forward in the process.  The primary exemption from this being any legislation that is deemed “NTIB” or “Necessary to Implement the Budget”.

Both committees have held public hearings and executive sessions on key bills that will impact higher education. Among the pieces of legislation that the Ways & Means Committees took action on include legislation to provide greater flexibility for institutions of higher education in areas such as procurement and travel and to establish a new state entity focused on higher education.

After February 7 the House and Senate will have until February 14 to bills from their respective floor to the opposite chamber.