Fiscal Summary

Other Fiscal Impact - The University of Tennessee will reallocate $1,200,000 in funding from diversity, multicultural, or sustainability programs to other budgetary items.

Bill Summary

This bill limits the amounts that the University of Tennessee system and its institutions may spend on diversity, multicultural, or sustainability programs and establishes other requirements for such programs, as follows:

(1) This bill prohibits the University of Tennessee and its institutions from spending more than $2.5 million per year on diversity, multicultural, or sustainability programs, which includes, but is not limited to, the salaries and benefits of all faculty or staff members who are required as part of their job duties to work on diversity, multicultural, or sustainability programs, office supplies and expenses, and expenditures for travel, educational seminars, conferences, and other functions that support these programs. Under this bill, no more than 60 percent of the amount allocated for diversity, multicultural, or sustainability programs may be spent for programs at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.

(2) This bill requires that the funds allocated to diversity, multicultural, or sustainability programs be clearly itemized in the University of Tennessee system budget each year according to the institution to which funds for these purposes are to be disbursed. This bill prohibits the university from disbursing funds that have been allocated to one institution in the budget to another institution and from disbursing funds that have been allocated for purposes other than diversity, multicultural, or sustainability programs to diversity, multicultural, or sustainability programs.

(3) This bill prohibits an employee of the University of Tennessee system or one of its institutions whose primary responsibilities and duties are in areas unrelated to diversity, multicultural, or sustainability programs from participating in diversity, multicultural, or sustainability programs during the times when the employee is to perform work duties.

(4) This bill requires the University of Tennessee system to report annually in writing to the general assembly the amount of money spent on diversity, multicultural, and sustainability programs. The funds expended must be broken down by the program for which they were expended and the institution where the funds were expended. This bill requires that other information be identified in the report, such as the cost of producing any diversity, multicultural, or sustainability program, seminar, or conference by the University of Tennessee system or one of its institutions.

(5) This bill specifies that employees of the University of Tennessee system or one of its institutions whose duties are related to diversity, multicultural, or sustainability programs, may only work and have duties in areas related to: nondiscrimination; recruitment of minority students; and recruitment of minority faculty or administrators.