The Budget Bylaw Review Committee, formed by Student Senate last semester, would like to make the Student Senate Finance Commission’s bylaws more specific to ease the budget allocation process.

Nate Otto, Finance Commission director and member of the committee, said the bylaws are not as specific as they should be for such an important function of the Senate.

To receive funding, organizations that meet the criteria specified in the bylaws must apply every year. Then a bill based on commission recommendations for the budget is written and voted on.

“It’s a long and grueling process and I’d like to make that easier,” Otto said.

There are 20 organizations that receive yearly funding and all of those are considered neutral organizations. The committee wants to include new rules for granting funds to organizations that take a stand on an issue in the bylaws. The current bylaws support organizations with neutral views.

With that also comes the duty of determining which organizations would fall into that category, Otto said. The Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Student Association, for example, is an organization that some feel is ideological and others do not.

If the Senate decides to fund ideological organizations, Otto said it would be done in as balanced a manner as possible. For example, if College Republicans were funded, College Democrats would be funded equally.

Another idea the committee is discussing is providing travel funding for any organization that wants to send representatives to conferences or conventions.

“Overall, this will make it a lot easier for the organizations who deserve to get student funding to get student funding,” Otto said.

The committee is looking at what other finance commissions within the UW System are doing, but will not necessarily use another school’s bylaws, said Matt Flaten, Student Senate vice president and committee member.

“Anything is possible on this committee,” Flaten said.

An idea group members got from other schools is to have the student body elect the commission members, rather than the director appointing members.

“If they are elected by the student body as a whole, then they have a duty to that student body,” Otto said.

Senate will focus on keeping segregated fees low while discussing the bylaws, Otto said. The committee will submit a bylaw bill to Senate in February.