Sen. Slap Leads Final Passage of Bill to Increase Oversight in CSCU Systems

HARTFORD – Today, State Senator Derek Slap, co-chair of the Higher Education and Employment Advancement Committee, led final passage of legislation that increases fiscal transparency and accountability in our state higher education systems.

This bill requires the Board of Regents for Higher Education (BOR) and UConn Board of Trustees to adopt or update their management and fiscal accountability policies surrounding:

-Use of purchasing cards and state vehicles

-Residency requirements for certain executive positions

-Training on business functions and compliance practices

The legislation requires the BOR to appoint a compliance officer to conduct regular audits and report its findings back to the BOR. The bill also specifies that constituent units of higher education, as currently required of budgeted agencies and quasi-public agencies, must submit expense information for inclusion on the comptroller’s online database of expenditures. This includes data related to contracts, grants, payroll, and pensions.

This bill is a result of an investigation done by the Office of the State Comptroller (OSC) that found questionable spending patterns and controls, mishandled reporting and a general lack of training and accountability surrounding spending in the Connecticut State Colleges and Universities (CSCU) system.

“Connecticut students and taxpayers deserve accountability and the assurance that every dollar allocated to these systems is being spent to support the mission of higher education,” said Sen. Slap. “This bill will ensure resources go toward students and enhancing their education. We must continue to invest in higher education and the passage of this bill will help us do that by restoring public trust.”