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HB 673

Tennessee Higher Education Commission - As introduced, requires the commission, in consultation with the department of finance and administration, to submit a report to the general assembly of the state appropriations made to each land grant institution in this state from 1987 to 2020, on a per pupil basis, by December 31, 2025. - Amends TCA Title 9 and Title 49.

114th Regular Session (2025-2026) Introduced by Harold Love

Tennessee bill requiring state higher education commission to report appropriations to land grant universities from 1987-2020 on per-pupil basis by end of 2025.

Action Def. in s/c Higher Education Subcommittee to First Calendar of 2026
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Bill Summary · HB 673

Legislative bill overview

HB 673 requires the Tennessee Higher Education Commission to compile and report state appropriations made to the state's land grant institutions from 1987 to 2020 on a per-pupil basis, with the report due by December 31, 2025. The bill involves consultation with the Department of Finance and Administration and amends statutes governing higher education and state finances.

Why is this important

This bill would create a historical financial record showing how state funding to land grant universities (primarily University of Tennessee and Tennessee State University) has changed over 33 years, adjusted for student enrollment. Such data transparency can inform debates about equity in higher education funding and whether certain institutions have received disproportionate or insufficient support relative to their student populations.

Potential points of contention

  • Data compilation burden: Requiring historical financial data from 1987 may be administratively costly and challenging if records are incomplete or require significant analysis to standardize on a per-pupil basis
  • Selective timeframe: The 1987-2020 window is arbitrary and may not align with meaningful policy periods; critics may question why this specific 33-year span was chosen
  • Equity implications: The report could reveal funding disparities between institutions, potentially creating political pressure for funding reallocation or raising concerns about whether the underlying data supports any particular policy conclusion

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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