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Kentucky General Assembly· HB 96delivered to Secretary of State (Acts Ch. 176)

An act relating to the postsecondary education working group and declaring an emergency., the official text

Shown verbatim: the complete text as captured from the official PDF posted by the Kentucky General Assembly, fetched 2026-09-25. Page and line markers are part of the official record; nothing is edited or removed. This is the current version. The official bill page.
UNOFFICIAL COPY                                              26 RS HB 96/VO

1   AN ACT relating to the postsecondary education working group and declaring an

2 emergency.

3 Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Kentucky:

4   Section 1. KRS 164.092 is amended to read as follows:

5 (1) For purposes of this section:

6   (a) "Category I and Category II square feet" means square footage that falls under

7   space categories as defined by the Postsecondary Education Facilities

8   Inventory and Classification Manual published by the United States

9   Department of Education;

10  (b) "Comprehensive university" has the same meaning as in KRS 164.001;

11  (c) "Council" means the Council on Postsecondary Education;

12  (d) "Equilibrium" means a condition in which every institution has an

13  appropriately proportionate level of resources as determined by the

14  performance funding model established in this section given each institution's

15  level of productivity in achieving student success outcomes, course

16  completion outcomes, and other components included in the model;

17  (e) "Formula base amount" means an institution's enacted general fund

18  appropriation amount minus debt service on bonds and appropriations for

19  mandated programs;

20  (f) "Hold-harmless provision" means a provision included in the funding

21  formulas as described in subsection (9) of this section that prevents a

22  reduction of a designated portion of funding for an institution through

23  operation of the funding formula;

24  (g) "Institution" means a college in the Kentucky Community and Technical

25  College System or a public university;

26  (h) "KCTCS" means the Kentucky Community and Technical College System;

27  (i) "KCTCS institution allocable resources" means the formula base amount net

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1        of any equity adjustment as described in subsection (7)(b) of this section, any

2        amount protected by a hold-harmless provision, and any applicable increase

3        or decrease in general fund appropriations;

4   (j) "Mandated program" means a research or public service activity that is not

5        integral to the instructional mission of the institution and is identified by the

6        General Assembly in the biennial budget;

7   (k) "Nontraditional age students" means students between the ages of twenty-five

8        (25) and sixty-four (64);

9   (l) "Performance fund" means the postsecondary education performance fund

10       established in subsection (13) of this section;

11  (m) "Research universities" means the University of Kentucky and the University

12       of Louisville;

13  (n) "Stop-loss provision" means a provision included in the funding formulas as

14       described in subsection (9) of this section to limit reduction of an institution's

15       funding amount to a predetermined percentage, notwithstanding the amounts

16       calculated by operation of the formula; and

17  (o) "University allocable resources" means the formula base amount net of any

18       small school adjustment as described in subsection (5)(c) of this section, any

19       amount protected by a hold-harmless provision, and any applicable increase

20       or decrease in general fund appropriations.

21 (2) The General Assembly hereby finds that improving opportunity for the

22  Commonwealth's citizens and building a stronger economy can be achieved by its

23  public college and university system focusing its efforts and resources on the goals

24  of:

25  (a) Increasing the retention and progression of students toward timely credential

26       or degree completion;

27  (b) Increasing the number and types of credentials and degrees earned by all types

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    UNOFFICIAL COPY                                                  26 RS HB 96/VO

1   of students;

2   (c) Increasing the number of credentials and degrees that garner higher salaries

3   upon graduation, such as science, technology, engineering, math, and health,

4   and in areas of industry demand;

5   (d) Closing achievement gaps by increasing the number of credentials and

6   degrees earned by low-income students, underprepared students,

7   underrepresented students, and nontraditional age students; and

8   (e) Facilitating credit hour accumulation and transfer of students from KCTCS to

9   four (4) year postsecondary institutions.

10 (3) (a) The General Assembly hereby declares these goals can best be accomplished

11  by implementing a comprehensive funding model for the allocation of state

12  general fund appropriations for postsecondary institution operations that

13  aligns the Commonwealth's investments in postsecondary education with the

14  Commonwealth's postsecondary education policy goals and objectives.

15  (b) The General Assembly further recognizes that priority for state general fund

16  appropriations for postsecondary institutions should be given to each

17  institution's funding floor over appropriations to the performance fund. For

18  purposes of this section, "funding floor" means an institution's fiscal year

19  2020-2021 general fund appropriation included in 2020 Ky. Acts ch. 92, plus

20  any fiscal year 2020-2021 distribution from the performance fund, and minus

21  fiscal year 2020-2021 debt service on bonds and appropriations for mandated

22  programs.

23 (4) This section establishes a comprehensive funding model for the public

24  postsecondary education system to be implemented by the Council on

25  Postsecondary Education. The funding model shall include a public university

26  sector formula and a KCTCS sector formula, and shall not include any race-based

27  metrics or targets in the formulas.

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1 (5) The funding formula for the public university sector shall:

2   (a) Recognize differences in missions and cost structures between research

3   universities and comprehensive universities to ensure that neither are

4   advantaged or disadvantaged during the first full year of implementation;

5   (b) Distribute one hundred percent (100%) of the university allocable resources

6   for all universities in the sector, based on rational criteria, including student

7   success, course completion, and operational support components, regardless

8   of whether state funding for postsecondary institution operations increases,

9   decreases, or remains stable;

10  (c) Include an adjustment to minimize impact on smaller campuses as determined

11  by the council; and

12  (d) Be constructed to achieve equilibrium, at which point the funding formula

13  rewards rates of improvement above the sector average rate.

14 (6) Funding for the public university sector shall be distributed as follows:

15  (a) Forty percent (40%) of total university allocable resources shall be distributed

16  based on each university's share of total student success outcomes produced,

17  including but not limited to:

18  1. Bachelor's degree production;

19  2. Numbers of students progressing beyond thirty (30), sixty (60), and

20  ninety (90) credit hour thresholds;

21  3. Science, technology, engineering, math, and health bachelor's degree

22  production; and

23  4. Bachelor's degrees earned by low-income students and underrepresented

24  students;

25  (b) Thirty percent (30%) of total university allocable resources shall be

26  distributed based on each university's share of sector total student credit hours

27  earned, excluding dual credit enrollment, weighted to account for cost

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    UNOFFICIAL COPY                                                26 RS HB 96/VO

1   differences by academic discipline and course level, such as lower and upper

2   division baccalaureate, master's, doctoral research, doctoral professional, and

3   nontraditional age students; and

4   (c) Thirty percent (30%) of total university allocable resources shall be

5   distributed in support of vital campus operations as follows:

6   1. Ten percent (10%) shall be distributed based on each university's share

7   of Category I and Category II square feet, net of research, nonclass

8   laboratory, and open laboratory space, to support maintenance and

9   operation of campus facilities and may include a space utilization factor

10  as determined by the council in collaboration with the working group

11  established in subsection (11) of this section;

12  2. Ten percent (10%) shall be distributed based on each university's share

13  of total instruction and student services spending, net of maintenance

14  and operation, to support campus administrative functions; and

15  3. Ten percent (10%) shall be distributed based on each university's share

16  of total full-time equivalent student enrollment to support academic

17  support services such as libraries and academic computing.

18 (7) The funding formula for the KCTCS sector:

19  (a) Shall distribute one hundred percent (100%) of KCTCS institution allocable

20  resources for all KCTCS colleges based on rational criteria, including student

21  success, course completion, and operational support components, regardless

22  of whether state funding for postsecondary institution operations increases,

23  decreases, or remains stable;

24  (b) May include an adjustment to account for community economic disadvantage

25  in some regions of the Commonwealth as determined by the council; and

26  (c) Shall be constructed to achieve equilibrium, at which point the funding

27  formula rewards rates of improvement above the sector average rate.

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    UNOFFICIAL COPY                                                  26 RS HB 96/VO

1 (8) Funding for the KCTCS sector shall be distributed as follows:

2   (a) Thirty-five percent (35%) of total KCTCS institution allocable resources shall

3   be distributed based on each college's share of total student success outcomes

4   produced, including but not limited to:

5   1. Certificate, diploma, and associate degree production, weighted to

6   provide a premium for credentials that are aligned with the economic

7   needs of the state;

8   2. Numbers of students progressing beyond fifteen (15), thirty (30), and

9   forty-five (45) credit hour thresholds;

10  3. Credentials earned by low-income students, underprepared students,

11  underrepresented students, and nontraditional age students; and

12  4. Transfers to four (4) year institutions;

13  (b) Thirty-five percent (35%) of total KCTCS institution allocable resources shall

14  be distributed based on each college's share of total student credit hours

15  earned, weighted to account for cost differences by academic discipline; and

16  (c) Thirty percent (30%) of total KCTCS institution allocable resources shall be

17  distributed in support of vital campus operations as follows:

18  1. Ten percent (10%) shall be distributed based on each college's share of

19  Category I and Category II square feet, net of research, nonclass

20  laboratory, and open laboratory space, to support maintenance and

21  operation of campus facilities and may include a space utilization factor

22  as determined by the council in collaboration with the postsecondary

23  education working group established in subsection (11) of this section;

24  2. Ten percent (10%) shall be distributed based on each college's share of

25  total instruction and student services spending, net of maintenance and

26  operation, to support campus administrative functions; and

27  3. Ten percent (10%) shall be distributed based on each college's share of

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    UNOFFICIAL COPY                                            26 RS HB 96/VO

1   total full-time equivalent student enrollment to support academic

2   support services such as libraries and academic computing.

3 (9) (a) The funding formula for both sectors shall include:

4   1. A hold-harmless provision for fiscal year 2018-2019 preventing a

5   reduction in an institution's funding amount based solely on the formula

6   calculation, and allowing a hold-harmless amount determined by the

7   formula in fiscal year 2018-2019 to be deducted from an institution's

8   formula base amount in whole or in part in fiscal years 2019-2020 and

9   2020-2021, as determined by the council;

10  2. A hold-harmless provision for fiscal year 2021-2022, and every fiscal

11  year thereafter, preventing a reduction in an institution's funding amount

12  based solely on the formula calculation;

13  3. A stop-loss provision for fiscal year 2019-2020 limiting the reduction in

14  funding to any institution to one percent (1%) of that institution's

15  formula base amount;

16  4. A stop-loss provision for fiscal year 2020-2021 limiting the reduction in

17  funding to any institution to two percent (2%) of that institution's

18  formula base amount; and

19  5. A stop-loss provision for fiscal year 2021-2022, and every fiscal year

20  thereafter, limiting the reduction in funding to any institution to zero

21  percent (0%) of that institution's formula base amount.

22  (b) Paragraph (a) of this subsection shall not be construed to limit the level of a

23  budget reduction that may be enacted by the General Assembly or

24  implemented by the Governor.

25 (10) (a) By May 1 each year, the council shall certify to the Office of the State Budget

26  Director the amount to be distributed to each of the public universities and

27  KCTCS as determined by the comprehensive funding model created in this

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1   section, not to exceed the available balance in the performance fund.

2   (b) The Office of the State Budget Director shall distribute the appropriations in

3   the performance fund for that fiscal year to the institutions in the amounts the

4   council has certified. The adjusted appropriations to each institution shall be

5   allotted as provided in KRS 48.600, 48.605, 48.610, 48.620, and 48.630.

6   (c) 1. The certified amounts distributed from the performance fund to the

7   institutions are nonrecurring funds that shall not be included in the

8   institutions' base budget amounts submitted in their biennial budget

9   requests.

10  2. The certified amounts distributed from the performance fund in the

11  previous fiscal year shall be included in the performance fund's base

12  budget amount submitted by the council in the biennial budget request.

13  (d) For fiscal year 2017-2018, the Office of the State Budget Director shall

14  distribute to the public postsecondary education institutions, except for

15  Kentucky State University, those funds appropriated to the performance fund

16  by the General Assembly in 2016 Ky. Acts ch. 149, Part I, K., 12., in

17  accordance with the comprehensive funding model created in this section.

18 (11) (a) The Council on Postsecondary Education is hereby directed to establish a

19  postsecondary education working group composed of the following:

20  1. The president of the council, who shall serve as chairperson of the

21  working group and a nonvoting member;

22  2. The president or designee of each public postsecondary institution,

23  including the president of KCTCS;

24  3. The Governor or designee;

25  4. Five (5) members of the House of Representatives appointed based on

26  proportional political affiliation in the House, with members of the

27  majority appointed by the Speaker of the House and members of the

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1   minority appointed by the Minority Floor Leader of the House[ or

2   designee]; and

3   5. Five (5) members of the Senate appointed based on proportional

4   political affiliation in the Senate, with members of the majority

5   appointed by the President of the Senate and members of the minority

6   appointed by the Minority Floor Leader of the Senate[ or designee].

7   (b) Beginning in calendar[fiscal] year 2026[2020-2021] and every four (4)

8   calendar[three (3) fiscal] years thereafter, the postsecondary education

9   working group shall convene to determine if the comprehensive funding

10  model is functioning as expected, identify any unintended consequences of

11  the model, and recommend any adjustments to the model. The council may

12  call the working group to convene prior to the start of the required

13  calendar[fiscal] year to allow sufficient time for the group to complete its

14  work.

15  (c) The results of the review and recommendations of the working group shall be

16  reported by the council to the Governor, the Interim Joint Committee on

17  Appropriations and Revenue, and the Interim Joint Committee on Education

18  by December 1 of each[ fiscal] year the working group convenes.

19 (12) The council shall promulgate administrative regulations under KRS Chapter 13A to

20  implement the provisions of this section.

21 (13) (a) The postsecondary education performance fund is hereby established as an

22  appropriation unit to support improvement in the operations of the public

23  postsecondary institutions and achievement of the Commonwealth's education

24  policy goals and workforce development priorities. General fund moneys may

25  be appropriated by the General Assembly to this fund for distribution to the

26  public postsecondary institutions in amounts determined through the

27  comprehensive funding model created in this section.

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1  (b) Any balance in the performance fund at the close of any fiscal year shall not

2  lapse but shall be carried forward to the next fiscal year and be continuously

3  appropriated for the purposes specified in this section. A general statement

4  that all continuing appropriations are repealed, discontinued, or suspended

5  shall not operate to repeal, discontinue, or suspend this fund or to repeal this

6  action.

7  Section 2. Whereas the work of the postsecondary education working group is

8 necessary for the funding of public postsecondary education institutions, an emergency is

9 declared to exist, and this Act takes effect upon its passage and approval by the Governor

10 or upon its otherwise becoming a law.

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