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K-State Today

February 14, 2017

Legislative Update

Submitted by Sue Peterson

This week the Legislature will wrap up hearings on bills to finish committee work in the house of origin by Feb. 23. Starting Feb. 21 the House and Senate will work long days debating bills on the floor of the two chambers. Bills impacting higher education and Kansas State University can be found on the governmental relations website.

On Monday, Kansas State University President Richard Myers will testify before the House Higher Education Budget Committee on the governor's budget recommendations for fiscal years 2018 and 2019. Read a PDF document of the testimony.

This week the House Appropriations Committee will review all the budget recommendations put forward by the Budget Committees on Monday. The committee also will discuss the bill providing for a loan to the State General Fund from the Pooled Money Investment Board to fund the remainder of fiscal year 2017. If passed by the committee the bills could be debated by the House later in the week.

Last week the Senate Financial Institutions and Insurance Committee held a hearing on SB 110. This legislation will assist J1 visa holders to acquire health insurance through their institutions. There are approximately 55 employees impacted at K-State. These employees are at the institution on J1 and J2 visas and their positions include professors, postdocs or others in the research area. Action on the bill is expected prior to the Feb. 20 deadline.

Also in action last week the Kansas House of Representatives passed HB 2109. This legislation allows Kansas State University to sell three tracks of land: a small part of Marlatt Park on the east side of Seth Child Road; a small triangular piece of land in the University Research Park; and the site the Pure Bred Beef Unit currently occupies. The bill now goes onto the Kansas Senate.

Please see the weekly updates every Tuesday in K-State Today through the Final Adjournment of the 2017 Kansas Legislature. In addition the Office of Governmental Relations will host Kansas Legislative Review Sessions Feb. 17, in the K-State Student Union's Big 12 Room; March 3, March 17 and March 31 in Hale Library's Hemisphere Room; and April 14 and 28 in 21 Bluemont Hall. These sessions are open to the public and feel free to bring a brownbag lunch.

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