AB604: Bill Text

LRB-3832/2

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1997 - 1998 LEGISLATURE

1997 Assembly BILL 604

November 11, 1997 - Introduced by Representative Gard, cosponsored by Senator Burke. Referred to Joint committee on Finance.

AB604,1,3 An Act to repeal and recreate 39.47 (2); and to create 39.47 (2g) of the statutes; relating to: various changes to the Minnesota-Wisconsin student reciprocity agreement.

Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau

Under current law, this state has entered into a student reciprocity agreement with the state of Minnesota with the approval of the joint committee on finance (JCF). The agreement is administered by the higher educational aids board (HEAB). For residents of either state attending public postsecondary institutions in the other state, the agreement provides a nonresident tuition waiver for enrollment in vocational schools and a reciprocal fee structure for enrollment in other higher education institutions. The reciprocal fee is the average academic fee that would be charged the student at a comparable higher education institution in his or her state of residence, except that for Wisconsin residents first enrolled in the University of Minnesota Law School in the 1996-97 academic year or thereafter, the reciprocal fee may be the same fee that a Minnesota resident is charged for enrollment in the University of Minnesota Law School, rather than the average academic fee that would be charged at a comparable law school in this state. The agreement provides for a biennial review of the costs, charges and payments associated with the agreement.

This bill modifies the reciprocal fee structure for enrollment in higher education institutions other than vocational schools. The bill provides that the reciprocal fee for any student may not exceed the higher of the resident tuition that would be charged the student at the higher education institution in which the student is enrolled or the resident tuition that the student would be charged at comparable higher education institutions in his or her state of residence. The bill requires HEAB and its counterpart in the state of Minnesota to prepare an administrative memorandum prior to each academic year that establishes policies and procedures for implementation of the agreement, including a description of the process to be used in determining the reciprocal fee structure, for the upcoming academic year. Each administrative memorandum is subject to approval by JCF. Finally, the bill eliminates the biennial review of the costs, charges and payments associated with the agreement.

For further information see the state fiscal estimate, which will be printed as an appendix to this bill.

The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do enact as follows:

AB604, s. 1 Section 1. 39.47 (2) of the statutes, as affected by 1997 Wisconsin Act 27, is repealed and recreated to read:

AB604,2,14 39.47 (2) The agreement under this section shall provide for the waiver of nonresident tuition for a resident of either state who is enrolled in a public vocational school located in the other state. The agreement shall also establish a reciprocal fee structure for residents of either state who are enrolled in public institutions of higher education, other than vocational schools, located in the other state. The reciprocal fee may not exceed the higher of the resident tuition that would be charged the student at the public institution of higher education in which the student is enrolled or the resident tuition that would be charged the student at comparable public institutions of higher education located in his or her state of residence, as specified in the annual administrative memorandum under sub. (2g). The agreement shall take effect on July 1, 1998. The agreement is subject to the approval of the joint committee on finance under s. 39.42.

AB604, s. 2 Section 2. 39.47 (2g) of the statutes is created to read:

AB604,3,10 39.47 (2g) Prior to each academic year, the board and the designated body representing the state of Minnesota shall prepare an administrative memorandum that establishes policies and procedures for implementation of the agreement for the upcoming academic year, including a description of how the reciprocal fee structure shall be determined for purposes of sub. (2), and the board shall submit the administrative memorandum to the joint committee on finance. If the cochairpersons of the committee do not notify the board that the committee has scheduled a meeting for the purpose of reviewing the administrative memorandum within 14 working days after the date of the submittal, the administrative memorandum may be implemented as proposed by the board. If, within 14 working days after the date of the submittal, the cochairpersons of the committee notify the board that the committee has scheduled a meeting for the purpose of reviewing the administrative memorandum, the administrative memorandum may be implemented only upon approval of the committee.

AB604, s. 3 Section 3. Initial applicability.

AB604,3,14 (1) Minnesota-Wisconsin student reciprocity agreement. The treatment of section 39.47 (2) and (2g) of the statutes first applies to students enrolled in and reciprocal fees for the 1998-99 academic year.

AB604,3,15 (End)