SR 172

2026 Regular Session  ENROLLED
SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 172
BY SENATOR REESE
  A RESOLUTION
To create the Legislative Higher Education Funding and Formula Task Force to study and
        evaluate the funding structure of Louisiana's public postsecondary education
        enterprise and the allocation of funding to higher education's two-year and four-year
        institutions through the outcomes-based funding formula, and to provide
        recommendations to the legislature and the Louisiana Board of Regents regarding
        potential reforms, structure, and funding considerations for public postsecondary
        education institutions.
        WHEREAS, the state of Louisiana recognizes postsecondary education as a critical
driver of workforce development, economic competitiveness, civic engagement, and upward
mobility; and
        WHEREAS, Article VIII, Section 5 of the Constitution of Louisiana provides that
the Louisiana Board of Regents shall plan, coordinate, and recommend funding for public
postsecondary education, and develop a formula for equitable distribution of funds to public
institutions of postsecondary education; and
        WHEREAS, Act 462 of the 2014 Regular Session of the Legislature first required
the Board of Regents to adopt an outcomes-based funding formula for public postsecondary
education to allocate state appropriations among public postsecondary education institutions;
and
        WHEREAS, funding for public postsecondary education is derived from multiple
sources; and
        WHEREAS, a review of the history of higher education funding in Louisiana is a
critical part of a comprehensive analysis of resources provided and allocated to public
institutions across the state; and
        WHEREAS, postsecondary institutions are facing a changing fiscal landscape,
characterized by higher operating, auxiliary, and athletic costs, funding deficits, outstanding
debt, fluctuating enrollment, concerns regarding affordability, student debt, institutional
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SR NO. 172  ENROLLED
stability, and changing perceptions regarding the value of obtaining a degree or credential;
and
       WHEREAS, members of the legislature have recently raised questions and concerns
regarding the structure, implementation, transparency, and outcomes associated with the
current funding formula; and
       WHEREAS, it is the responsibility of the legislature to appropriate funding for public
higher education and to ensure that funds are distributed in a fair, transparent, accountable,
and effective manner that advances critical performance outcomes such as student success
and workforce development across the state; and
       WHEREAS, a comprehensive review of public postsecondary funding and the
funding formula will provide the legislature the opportunity to both measure the adequacy
of funding provided and examine whether the formula appropriately accounts for
institutional missions, enrollment trends, student outcomes, regional needs, workforce
priorities, and operational costs.
       THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Senate of the Legislature of Louisiana
does hereby establish and provide for the Legislative Higher Education Funding and
Formula Task Force to study the Louisiana Board of Regents' funding formula and related
funding methodologies for public postsecondary education institutions, and to propose
recommendations, together with specific proposals for legislation, by written report to the
Senate Committee on Finance, House Committee on Appropriations, Senate Committee on
Education, House Committee on Education, and to the David R. Poynter Legislative
Research Library as required by R.S. 24:771 and 772, no later than February 26, 2027.
       BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the task force shall conduct, at minimum, the
following:
       (1)     An assessment of historical and current funding structures and primary
  sources of financially supporting public postsecondary education including
  State General Fund appropriations, statutory dedications, federal grants,
  tuition and mandatory fees, auxiliary enterprises, private philanthropy, and
  other institutional revenues.
       (2)     An assessment of historical and current formula methodologies and metrics
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SR NO. 172  ENROLLED
  used in the calculation of Louisiana's public higher education funding
  formula for two-year and four-year institutions.
      (3)    A comparative analysis of Louisiana's funding structures and funding
  formula with national best practices and those of regional peer states.
      (4)    A longitudinal evaluation of Louisiana's postsecondary education state
  funding, performance-based funding metrics, accountability measures, and
  the changing costs of educating students.
      (5)    Recommendations for legislation, if any, necessary to strengthen higher
  education funding to provide financial stability in Louisiana and improve the
  public postsecondary formula structure to drive outcomes and institutional
  performance in alignment with workforce needs.
      BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the task force shall consist of the following
members:
      (1)    The chair of the House Committee on Appropriations, or his designee.
      (2)    The chair of the Senate Committee on Finance, or his designee.
      (3)    Two members of the House of Representatives appointed by the speaker of
  the House of Representatives.
      (4)    Two members of the Senate appointed by the president of the Senate.
      (5)    The commissioner of higher education, or his designee.
      (6)    One chancellor of a two-year community or technical college appointed by
  the president of the Louisiana Community and Technical Colleges System.
      (7)    The president of the Louisiana State University and Agricultural and
  Mechanical College System, or his designee, as an ex officio nonvoting
  member.
      (8)    The president of the Southern University and Agricultural and Mechanical
  College System, or his designee, as an ex officio nonvoting member.
      (9)    The president of the University of Louisiana System, or his designee, as an
  ex officio nonvoting member.
      (10)   The president of the Louisiana Community and Technical Colleges System,
  or his designee, as an ex officio nonvoting member.
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SR NO. 172  ENROLLED
        BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the task force shall solicit information from the
Division of Administration for economic forecasting expertise.
        BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that each designating authority shall submit the
names of designees to the task force to the secretary of the Senate no later than August 1,
2026.
        BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED the task force shall convene for its first meeting no
later than September 1, 2026, at the call of the commissioner of higher education, and at the
first meeting, the president of the Senate shall appoint a chairman and the members shall
elect other officers as the task force may deem appropriate.
        BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a majority of the task force shall constitute a
quorum for the transaction of business. All official actions of the task force shall require the
affirmative vote of a majority of the members.
        BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the members of the task force shall serve
without compensation, except per diem or expenses reimbursement to which they may be
individually entitled as members of their constituent organizations.
        BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the task force shall terminate on the date of the
submission of its report or February 26, 2027, whichever occurs first.
        BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to the
commissioner of higher education, the president of the Louisiana State University System,
the president of the Southern University System, the president of the University of Louisiana
System, and the president of the Louisiana Community and Technical Colleges System.
  PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE
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