As previously reported, the main NSHE budget (base and main enhancements) approved left funding mostly flat in comparison to the previous biennium. We avoided some of the negative budget impact proposed by the new funding formula (as that was not implemented) and the legislature did include the small institution factor funding and research space funding for our research institutions. 

THe One-SHot APpropriations

The more positive budget news from this legislative session was extra one-shot appropriations added in addition to the Governor’s recommended one-shot appropriations benefiting institution infrastructure, specific education programs, and research. Some one-shots that really are continuing costs to our institutions (such as the salaries covered by cost-of-living increases) were initially in the base NSHE budget, but changed to one-shots to reconcile the Governor's original budget that came to the legislature with a $335M deficit.

In addition to the $11M campus safety funding (AB567) and COLA backfill funding AB568:, this included:

• SB 498: Nursing Expansion: This continues the $10M/year to support nursing education at all our institutions. Additionally, the legislature amended it to add another $1.5M for WNC and $2.5M to NSU to support their facilities related to their nursing programs.

• SB 427: NSHE Capital Improvement Projects: This bill began as planning funding for the UNR Life Sciences Building ($6.2M) and the UNLV Business Building ($6.2M), and the legislature amended it to add in $1.1M for WNC’s Observatory, $300K for CSN’s Northwest campus, $3.5M for TMCC building improvements, and $2.4M to GBC for building improvements and HVAC systems.

• SB 119: NV Grow Program, $1.2M to CSN to continue to implement the program.

• SB 486: $10.7M to the Promise Scholarship Account 

Funding was also appropriated for grant funding related to the Youth Behavioral Risk Survey (AB 331); Funding for the UNLV Law School pro bono work (AB 476); Funding for NSHE programs offering degrees in behavioral health and wellness practitioners (SB 165); Graduate Medical Education grants (SB 262), DRI’s Cloud Seeding Program (SB6); UNLV Dental School funding for cleft and craniofacial care (SB280); and NSU license plates with proceeds going to athletics and student food and basic needs programs (SB181).

THe Blow-UP

We should note that although NSHE and institution lobbyists coordinate, they are not always in lockstep or fully sticking to the Regent approved funding priorities. As example, we watched AB 379 that would appropriate funds for CSN’s Northwest campus. Curiously, this bill only listed a $1 appropriation and passed out of Assembly Ways and Means with still that $1 appropriation. It was only during the Senate Finance hearing that the actual intent of the bill was made known. In the hearing, CSN VP of External Affairs Clarissa Cota asked to amend the bill to be a $500,000 appropriation and that the $1 appropriation was just a placeholder until end of session appropriations could be doled out. The Chair and Vice Chair of the Senate Finance Committee were not very happy about this surprise (as you can see in the hearing here), and based on the other NSHE representative in the room in Carson City, they didn’t know this bill was still out there nor that they would do a surprise appropriate ask in the hearing. Although this particular $1 wonder bill died, CSN still got some appropriation in SB 427.

What Could Have Been (But Died in the Process)

Throughout the session, there were a number of other bills with financial benefits (or impacts) to NSHE that did not make it through the session. Those include:

• SB 472: This bill would have increased the weighted-student-credit hour amounts adjusted for inflation and given additional appropriations to institutions with increased enrollments. This bill got lost in the 11th hour shuffle, where the Assembly tried to amend the bill to reduce appropriations and delay the implementation until 2026, but the Senate did not agree. As the clock struck midnight, this difference was not reconciled and the bill died

• AB 397: This bill originally started out as just requiring fee waivers for homeless students, but later was amended to help standardize most of the current fee waivers offered by NSHE. The Native Student fee waiver was only amended to update some language on tribes eligible, but other waivers were all made to be “last dollar” waivers–meaning students would first apply any federal aid, scholarships, or grants before the waiver would be applied. The Governor vetoed this bill specifically because he did not want the “last dollar” provision to be applied to waivers related to veterans or the National Guard. This was one of two other fee waiver bill casualties of the session.  SB 237 was a fee waiver for dependents of deceased first responders that never made it out of committee. AB 532 was the first bill to attempt standardizing fee waivers, which brought lots of opposition from tribal communities as it would reduce the current waiver provisions for them. 

• AB 139 never had a hearing, but would have provided funding to subsidize schools to pay for dual/concurrent enrollment programs. SB 181 (NSU’s license plate bill) also originally had language about appropriations for dual enrollment that was amended out.

• SB 429 would have provided scholarships for those pursuing social work degrees, but this bill died early on in the session.

We note these failed bills only because we are sure that fee waiver bills will come up again next session, and certainly we can track other grant or scholarship programs proposed for different professional or degree areas.