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Subcommittee backs $491 million community‑college package with item funding tied to tuition restraints
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Summary
The subcommittee approved H.B. 5617, recommending a $491 million gross appropriation for community colleges largely from state school aid, with a $14.9 million 'items' appropriation distributed by formula and conditioned on limiting tuition/fee increases.
The House Appropriations Subcommittee advanced H.B. 5617, the community‑colleges appropriation bill for fiscal year 2026–27, approving a house substitute and reporting the bill out of committee.
Perry Zylak of the House Fiscal Agency summarized the proposal, saying it would provide a gross appropriation of $491,000,000 entirely from restricted state school aid funds, representing a $1.9 million (0.4%) decrease from the current fiscal year. He said the house includes a net $10.9 million SAF reduction for community college operations.
Zylak described a $14.9 million ongoing 'items' appropriation to be distributed to individual community colleges based on 4.1% of their fiscal‑year‑26 base operations funding; he said attainment of that funding would be conditioned on restraining district tuition and fee rate increases to the greater of 4% or $199. The packet of tables provides individual college breakdowns.
On a motion to adopt the H‑1 house substitute, the clerk announced five ayes, zero nays and two passes; the motion was adopted. The subcommittee later voted to report the house substitute with recommendation that it pass.
Next steps: the bill was reported out of subcommittee; members may request follow‑up on distribution details and the tuition restraint condition as the measure proceeds.
