Oklahoma House of Representatives
Mike W. Ray, Media Division Director
February 5, 2004
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: State Rep. Joe Sweeden
Capitol: (405) 557-7322
Pawhuska: (918) 846-2880

OKLAHOMA CITY -- Legislation that will be considered soon would require state institutions of higher education to disclose proposed tuition and/or fee increases before state lawmakers appropriate funds to public colleges and universities.

House Bill 1822 was assigned to the House Appropriations and Budget Subcommittee on Education.

The author of the measure is Rep. Joe Sweeden, D-Pawhuska, chairman of the House Committee on Government Operations, Agency Oversight and Administrative Rules, as well as a member of the Appropriations and Budget Committee.

"I just want the State Regents to appear at the Capitol each February, after the start of the legislative session, and tell us how much they plan to raise their tuition and fees for the coming year," Sweeden said. "When we appropriate their money, we would know how much they're going to have in extra revenue, and we could appropriate funds
accordingly."

He stressed that in no way would his legislation prevent university regents from raising tuition, nor would it reimpose annual caps on increases that the Legislature lifted last year.

HB 1822 would require higher-education regents to submit to the State Regents, prior to Feb. 1 each year, a report outlining the amount of, and the justification for, tuition and fee increases, plus the anticipated impact of any rate increases upon students and on a school's budget.

The State Regents for Higher Education would have to inform the Legislature and the Governor prior to Feb. 15 each year of "all proposed tuition and fee increases..."

Before March 15 each year, the appropriations and budget committees of the House and Senate would meet with the higher education Chancellor and representatives of universities and colleges who are asking for tuition increases for the next succeeding academic year.

"For the Legislature to be able to appropriate money properly, we
must know how much fees and tuition are going up before we can adequately assist them in the budget process," Sweeden said.

The lawmaker said he wants to be an advocate for students who qualify for little or no financial assistance while continuing their education. "I don't want to be responsible for not giving every single child in Oklahoma an opportunity to do their absolute best
academically," he said. "The children we teach today are the leaders of tomorrow."
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