BT0019 – Process for Submitting Legislative Proposals and Funding Requests to the General Assembly

BOARD OF TRUSTEES

Section 1. Objective

This policy implements Tennessee Code Annotated § 49-7-1002, which aims to protect and maintain the integrity of current prioritization and strategic planning processes established to best use limited state funds for public higher education toward greatest need and opportunity and to ensure prudent fiscal policy.

Section 2. Policy

1. All legislative proposals or requests for state funding toward public higher education capital projects, maintenance, new academic programs, public service, research activities and engagement opportunities or operational support to be submitted to the General Assembly shall first be considered and acted upon through established processes and procedures to review such requests; provided, however, that if such consideration or action through established processes and procedures is not possible, then such legislative proposals or requests shall be made with the knowledge of the President and the chief executive officer of the campus/institute for which the proposal or request for state funding is made.
2. The President is expected to advance legislative proposals and state funding requests through existing processes and procedures established in the spirit of maximizing the state’s ability to strategically plan, execute and maintain the state’s public higher education obligations. The President shall be accountable for ensuring that the established processes for considering and evaluating such requests are followed to the greatest extent possible.
3. At no time shall an employee of the University advance state legislative funding requests for the University without the knowledge of the President and the chief executive officer of the campus/institute. This policy applies only to legislative proposals and requests for state funding advanced by a University employee in his or her official capacity.
4. Legislative proposals or requests for state funding toward public higher education capital projects, maintenance, new academic programs, public service, research activities and engagement opportunities or operational support must be submitted to the Office of the Chief Financial Officer for inclusion in the University of Tennessee System’s proposals to the General Assembly. Each year, the Office of the Chief Financial Officer will request that this information be provided as part of either the operating budget or capital budget process. Any legislative proposal or request for state funding that arises outside the budgeting process must be submitted to the Office of the Chief Financial Officer for review with the President and the chief executive officer of the campus/institute prior to submission to the General Assembly.

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