(a) There is established a Higher Education Consolidation Committee which shall be convened by the chairpersons of the joint standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to higher education or such chairpersons' designee, who shall be a member of such joint standing committee. The membership of the Higher Education Consolidation Committee shall consist of the higher education subcommittee on appropriations and the chairpersons, vice chairpersons and ranking members of the joint standing committees of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to higher education and appropriations. The Higher Education Consolidation Committee shall establish a meeting and public hearing schedule for purposes of receiving updates from (1) the Board of Regents for Higher Education on the progress of the consolidation of the state system of higher education pursuant to this section, section 4-9c, subsection (g) of section 5-160, section 5-199d, subsection (a) of section 7-323k, subsection (a) of section 7-608, subsection (a) of section 10-9, section 10-155d, subdivision (14) of section 10-183b, sections 10a-1a to 10a-1d, inclusive, 10a-3 and 10a-3a, subsection (a) of section 10a-6a, sections 10a-6b, 10a-8, 10a-10a to 10a-11a, inclusive, 10a-17d and 10a-22a, subsections (f) and (h) of section 10a-22b, subsections (c) and (d) of section 10a-22d, sections 10a-22h and 10a-22k, subsection (a) of section 10a-22n, sections 10a-22r, 10a-22s, 10a-22u, 10a-22v, 10a-22x and 10a-34 to 10a-35a, inclusive, subsection (a) of section 10a-48a, sections 10a-71 and 10a-72, subsections (c) and (f) of section 10a-77, section 10a-88, subsection (a) of section 10a-89, subsection (c) of section 10a-99 and sections 10a-102, 10a-104, 10a-105, 10a-109e, 10a-143 and 10a-168a, and (2) the Board of Regents for Higher Education and The University of Connecticut on the program approval process for the constituent units. The Higher Education Consolidation Committee shall convene its first meeting on or before September 15, 2011, and meet not less than once every two months.

(b) The Office of Higher Education shall enter into a memorandum of understanding with the Office of Legislative Management providing that up to one hundred thousand dollars appropriated to said Office of Higher Education shall be used by the Higher Education Consolidation Committee to hire a consultant to assist said committee in fulfilling its duties.

(P.A. 11-48, S. 231; P.A. 12-156, S. 43; P.A. 13-247, S. 178, 186; 13-261, S. 11; 13-299, S. 8.)

History: P.A. 11-48 effective July 1, 2011; P.A. 12-156 amended Subsec. (b) to replace reference to Office of Financial and Academic Affairs for Higher Education with reference to Office of Higher Education and make a technical change, effective June 15, 2012; P.A. 13-247 amended Subsec. (a) to delete references to Secs. 10a-37(e), 10a-38 to 10a-40, 10a-42, 10a-42g, 10a-163a, 10a-164a and 10a-170, and to move Subdiv. (1) designator and require report from the Board of Regents for Higher Education and The University of Connecticut on the program approval process, effective July 1, 2013; P.A. 13-261 amended Subsec. (a) to add Subdiv. (2) re program approval process and add Subdiv. (1) designator, effective July 1, 2013; P.A. 13-299 amended Subsec. (a) to make a technical change and delete references to Secs. 4d-90(a) and 10a-55i, effective July 1, 2013.