The Senate Education Committee reported Senate Bill 553 to the full Senate, Tuesday, Feb, 12.
The legislation, relating to federal fund for land-grant institutions, is also required to be reviewed by the Senate Finance Committee prior to coming before the Senate.
President of West Virginia State University, Anthony Jenkins, came before members of the committee to outline the university’s funding and explain the impacts of land-grants on the institution.
According to Jenkins, funding created through land-grants, federal government funding and state funding have enabled the university to help 20,000 residents within the state. Through passage of the bill, the state would donate $1.4 million to the university in order to match the funding supplied by land-grants, extending the university’s help throughout the entire state.
Jenkins urged the committee to consider passage of the bill by stating that land-grant funding could potentially be jeopardized if the state doesn’t match the full amount accredited by the federal government.
“There have been many conversations concerning the seriousness of funding,” Jenkins said. “If the federal government doesn’t believe the state is being serious, funding could be taken away.”
Following the committee’s agreement on the committee substitute, members motioned to report the bill.
