To provide a “template” or “place holder” for the Fiscal Year 2013-2014 Higher Education budget. This bill contains no appropriations, but may be amended at a later date to include them.   Official Text and Analysis.

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

To adopt a version of this budget that expresses the fiscal and policy preferences of the Republican-majority in the House on various spending items and programs.

To not allocate a portion of each university's money on the basis of best practices "incentive" measures.

To not use tax revenues earmarked to the state School Aid Fund in the higher education budget, but instead use non-earmarked (general fund) revenue. Although the state constitution explicitly authorizes using SAF money for higher education, the public school establishment contends that the 1994 Proposal A initiative earmarking a sales tax increase to the SAF means it can only be used for K-12 schools.

To use $100 million from the state "rainy day fund" to increase university spending in this budget.

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

The Senate version of the higher education budget for the fiscal year beginning Oct. 1, 2013. This would appropriate $1.430 billion in gross spending, compared to $1.399 billion the previous year.

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.

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.

To concur with a House-passed version of the bill. The vote sends the bill to a House-Senate conference committee to work out the differences.