2014 Senate Bill 768

Appropriations: Higher Education

Introduced in the Senate

Feb. 11, 2014

Introduced by Sen. Tonya Schuitmaker (R-20)

To provide a “template” or “place holder” for the Fiscal Year 2014-2015 Higher Education budget. This bill contains no appropriations, but may be amended at a later date to include them.

Referred to the Committee on Appropriations

April 29, 2014

Reported without amendment

With the recommendation that the substitute (S-1) be adopted and that the bill then pass.

May 6, 2014

Substitute offered

The substitute passed by voice vote

Amendment offered by Sen. Morris Hood (D-3)

To not use any money from the state School Aid Fund in this budget, but only money from the state general fund.

The amendment failed 18 to 20 (details)

Amendment offered by Sen. Rebekah Warren (D-18)

To remove a provision requiring universities to report on their attempts to "accommodate the sincerely held religious beliefs of students enrolled in accredited counseling degree programs." The provision relates to allegations in news reports that universities are disciplining or discriminating against students in counseling, social work, or psychology programs because the student refuses to counsel a client about goals that conflict with the student's sincerely held religious beliefs or moral convictions.

The amendment failed by voice vote

Amendment offered by Sen. Coleman Young (D-1)

To strip out language that mandates reports from universities on their embryonic stem cell research.

The amendment failed by voice vote

Amendment offered by Sen. Patrick Colbeck (R-7)

To require universities to submit a report on how much they spend on health care services for uninsured students.

The amendment passed by voice vote

Amendment offered by Sen. Gretchen Whitmer (D-23)

To remove a prohibition on universities providing health insurance or other fringe benefits for "unmarried partners" of employees.

The amendment failed 12 to 26 (details)

Passed in the Senate 23 to 15 (details)

The Senate version of the higher education budget for the fiscal year beginning Oct. 1, 2014. This would appropriate $1.527 billion in gross spending, compared to $1.430 billion the previous year.

Received in the House

May 6, 2014

Referred to the Committee on Appropriations

May 14, 2014

Substitute offered by Rep. Joseph Haveman (R-90)

To adopt a version of the budget that contains no appropriations, but is instead intended to launch negotiations to work out the differences between the House and Senate budgets.

The substitute passed by voice vote

Passed in the House 109 to 0 (details)

To send the bill back to the Senate "stripped" of all actual appropriations. This vote is basically a procedural method of launching negotiations to work out the differences between the House and Senate budgets.

Received in the Senate

May 20, 2014

Failed in the Senate 0 to 38 (details)

June 12, 2014

Received

Referred to the Committee on Appropriations