Brief⁽¹⁾

H.C.R. 5049 would amend Article 6 of the Kansas Constitution to abolish the State Board of Regents and create the Kansas Council on Higher Education. The Council would be responsible for the control and supervision or coordination of public institutions of higher education, defined to include degree-granting colleges and universities and other institutions as provided by law.

The Council would consist of 11 members, appointed by the Governor to overlapping terms, subject to Senate confirmation. The duration of a term could be no longer than six years.

Background

H.C.R. 5049 is the recommendation of the House Select Committee on Higher Education. The proposed amendment to the Education Article of the Constitution is necessary to abolish the State Board of Regents in order to effectuate the Committee's comprehensive proposal to reorganize postsecondary education in Kansas. That proposal is contained in Substitute for H.B. 2793. Central to the Committee's recommendation is the creation of a single entity, the Kansas Council on Higher Education, that would have control and supervision or coordination over all public postsecondary institutions--the existing Regents institutions, Washburn University, community colleges, technical colleges, and area vocational schools.

Substitute for H.B. 2793 provides that the 11-member Council would consist of two members from each congressional district with the remainder at large. No more than six members could be from the same political party and members would serve staggered six-year terms. Initial appointments to the Council would be made from among persons nominated by the State Board of Regents, the State Board of Education, the Kansas Association of Community College Trustees, the Kansas Association of Area Vo-Tech Schools, and Washburn University. Members would be appointed by February 1, 1999. The Council would assume its duties on July 1, 2000.

H.C.R. 5049 would be submitted to the voters at the November 3, 1998, general election. Substitute for H.B. 2793 would take effect only if the constitutional amendment is approved by the voters.

1. *Supplemental notes are prepared by the Legislative Research Department and do not express legislative intent. The supplemental note and fiscal note for this bill may be accessed on the Internet at http://www.ink.org/public/legislative/fulltext-bill.html.