Steps to finalize the merger
Progress is being made on the legislative procedure of the College of Eastern Utah-Utah State University merger. The bill is waiting consideration to be read on the senate floor. The reading will be done on the second reading calendar which should take place sometime this week.
This archived article was written by: Devin Bybee
Progress is being made on the legislative procedure of the College of Eastern Utah-Utah State University merger. The bill is waiting consideration to be read on the senate floor. The reading will be done on the second reading calendar which should take place sometime this week.
In the process of legislation, the merger bill has had a couple of changes made. Previously, the bill was named State Bill 69. Now the bill is listed as SB 69 S1. S1 simply represents substitute number 1. SB 69 has been substituted with changes dealing with the Utah State University Board of Trustees and also the Memorandum of Understanding.
According to Brad King, CEU vice president of institutional advancement, “The changes will add a member to the USU Board of Trustees that will be from the CEU service area and it would allow CEU to choose members of its advisory council from the service area or alumni of CEU.”
King also added this information about the changes of the bill, “There will also be a piece of legislative intent language which will simply say that USU-CEU will operate on the principles outlined in the Memorandum of Understanding.”
SB 69 S1 has seen no turbulence to this point in the process. The bill passed in the Senate Education Committee with relative ease. Now as it waits being read on the senate floor, it presently has 21 other bills ahead of it.
The bill will be read and action will take place in the second reading as soon as the bill reaches the top of the list. The bill then must pass the third reading calendar after which it will be sent to the House Education Committee for further debate.
If passed by the House Education Committee, it then is passed on to the entire House for contemplation and review. Finally, if the House approves the bill, it is then sent to the governor for his signature and then July 1 it would become law.
Utah’s legislature has posed no resistance to the bill thus far. Although the merger has been a long and tedious process, it looks as if it will pass legislation and become effective on the July 1, 2010.
