| 1 | 1 | | H.B. No. 4149 |
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| 2 | 2 | | |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | AN ACT |
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| 5 | 5 | | relating to certain studies and reports by the Texas Higher |
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| 6 | 6 | | Education Coordinating Board regarding achievable cost-saving |
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| 7 | 7 | | measures and the use and availability of electronic textbooks at |
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| 8 | 8 | | institutions of higher education. |
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| 9 | 9 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 10 | 10 | | SECTION 1. Subchapter C, Chapter 61, Education Code, is |
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| 11 | 11 | | amended by adding Section 61.0664 to read as follows: |
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| 12 | 12 | | Sec. 61.0664. STUDY OF ACHIEVABLE COST-SAVING MEASURES; |
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| 13 | 13 | | REPORT. (a) The board shall conduct a study to identify achievable |
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| 14 | 14 | | cost-saving measures in the management and operation of |
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| 15 | 15 | | institutions of higher education. |
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| 16 | 16 | | (b) Not later than January 31, 2011, the board shall report |
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| 17 | 17 | | the results of the study required by Subsection (a) to the governor, |
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| 18 | 18 | | lieutenant governor, speaker of the house of representatives, and |
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| 19 | 19 | | presiding officer for each legislative standing committee with |
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| 20 | 20 | | primary jurisdiction over higher education. The report must |
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| 21 | 21 | | include: |
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| 22 | 22 | | (1) the board's recommendations concerning |
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| 23 | 23 | | cost-saving measures that are achievable at institutions of higher |
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| 24 | 24 | | education; and |
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| 25 | 25 | | (2) an estimate of the amount of money that would be |
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| 26 | 26 | | saved during a five-year period through the implementation of each |
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| 27 | 27 | | recommendation. |
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| 28 | 28 | | (c) This section expires January 31, 2011. |
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| 29 | 29 | | SECTION 2. Subchapter C, Chapter 61, Education Code, is |
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| 30 | 30 | | amended by adding Section 61.0665 to read as follows: |
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| 31 | 31 | | Sec. 61.0665. STUDY ON USE AND AVAILABILITY OF ELECTRONIC |
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| 32 | 32 | | TEXTBOOKS. (a) The board shall conduct a study and recommend |
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| 33 | 33 | | policies regarding the use and availability of electronic textbooks |
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| 34 | 34 | | in higher education in this state and in other states. The study |
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| 35 | 35 | | and policy recommendations must include a specific focus on the |
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| 36 | 36 | | results of the pilot program implemented by The University of Texas |
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| 37 | 37 | | at Austin with respect to the use of electronic textbooks and must |
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| 38 | 38 | | address methods for encouraging the use of electronic textbooks at |
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| 39 | 39 | | public or private institutions of higher education in this state. |
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| 40 | 40 | | (b) Each student regent serving under Section 51.355 or |
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| 41 | 41 | | 51.356 shall assist the board in performing the board's duties |
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| 42 | 42 | | under Subsection (a). The board shall establish procedures to |
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| 43 | 43 | | assist a student regent in complying with this subsection. |
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| 44 | 44 | | (c) The board may solicit and accept gifts and grants from |
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| 45 | 45 | | any public or private source to conduct the study and develop policy |
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| 46 | 46 | | recommendations under this section. |
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| 47 | 47 | | (d) Not later than December 1, 2010, the board shall make an |
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| 48 | 48 | | initial report and recommendations based on the study to the |
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| 49 | 49 | | governor, lieutenant governor, speaker of the house of |
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| 50 | 50 | | representatives, and presiding officer of each legislative |
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| 51 | 51 | | standing committee with primary jurisdiction over higher |
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| 52 | 52 | | education. This subsection expires January 31, 2011. |
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| 53 | 53 | | SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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| 54 | 54 | | a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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| 55 | 55 | | provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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| 56 | 56 | | Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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| 57 | 57 | | Act takes effect September 1, 2009. |
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| 58 | 58 | | ______________________________ ______________________________ |
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| 59 | 59 | | President of the Senate Speaker of the House |
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| 60 | 60 | | I certify that H.B. No. 4149 was passed by the House on April |
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| 61 | 61 | | 30, 2009, by the following vote: Yeas 144, Nays 0, 1 present, not |
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| 62 | 62 | | voting; and that the House concurred in Senate amendments to H.B. |
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| 63 | 63 | | No. 4149 on May 23, 2009, by the following vote: Yeas 138, Nays 0, |
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| 64 | 64 | | 1 present, not voting. |
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| 65 | 65 | | ______________________________ |
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| 66 | 66 | | Chief Clerk of the House |
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| 67 | 67 | | I certify that H.B. No. 4149 was passed by the Senate, with |
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| 68 | 68 | | amendments, on May 21, 2009, by the following vote: Yeas 31, Nays |
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| 69 | 69 | | 0. |
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| 70 | 70 | | ______________________________ |
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| 71 | 71 | | Secretary of the Senate |
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| 72 | 72 | | APPROVED: __________________ |
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| 73 | 73 | | Date |
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| 74 | 74 | | __________________ |
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| 75 | 75 | | Governor |
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