Bill No.: HB0017                     Drafter:  DRN

LSO No.:   08LSO-0148                 Effective Date:  7/1/2008

Enrolled Act No.:    <enrnum>

Chapter No.:         <chptnum>

Prime Sponsor:       Joint Education Interim Committee

Catch Title:         Community college commission-duties.

Subject:   The Wyoming community college commission and the community college system.

Summary/Major Elements:

• Implements recommendations of the Governor's Study Commission on Community Colleges;
• Requires each college to annually report to the commission in addition to the state treasurer on its respective expenditures and accomplishments under the endowment matching program;
• Requires the commission to respond to any community outside a college district requesting a service from its service area college district, and the service area district determines not to provide the requested service;
• Requires the commission to develop a statewide biennial community college strategic plan for the delivery of educational programs in the state, which is to serve as basis for annual report to governor and legislature;
• Allows commission to review and modify or maintain existing college service areas;
• Directs commission to review existing certificate and degree programs and to terminate state funding for those programs with consistently low enrollment;
• Directs and funds commission to conduct enrollment audits to ensure uniform accounting of FTE students in reporting financial data, which is in addition to and not in lieu of the current financial audits conducted by each college through independent CPAs;
• $250,000 appropriation to commission for expanded duties, $130,000 of which is for an additional position to implement expanded audit function and the remaining funds to carry out strategic planning efforts.

Comment:  Final action on this bill was not taken at the time this summary was prepared.  Should changes be made to this bill upon final passage, an updated summary will be transmitted to all legislators.