Texas 2009 - 81st Regular

Texas Senate Bill SB185 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1	81R561 CAS-F
2	2	By: Watson S.B. No. 185
3	3
4	4
5	5	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
6	6	AN ACT
7	7	relating to establishing a commission to prepare and recommend a
8	8	long-range plan for higher education in this state.
9	9	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
10	10	SECTION 1. Subchapter H, Chapter 51, Education Code, is
11	11	amended by adding Section 51.4011 to read as follows:
12	12	Sec. 51.4011. COMMISSION TO RECOMMEND LONG-RANGE PLAN FOR
13	13	HIGHER EDUCATION. (a) In this section:
14	14	(1) "General academic teaching institution" has the
15	15	meaning assigned by Section 61.003, except that the term does not
16	16	include a public state college.
17	17	(2) "Institution of higher education," "medical and
18	18	dental unit," "public junior college," "public state college,"
19	19	"public technical institute," and "university system" have the
20	20	meanings assigned by Section 61.003.
21	21	(b) A commission is established to conduct a study of issues
22	22	relating to the higher education system in this state and to
23	23	recommend for that system a long-range plan to meet the demands of a
24	24	global economy and a growing and diverse population.
25	25	(c) The commission is composed of 20 members as follows:
26	26	(1) 11 persons appointed by the commissioner of higher
27	27	education as follows:
28	28	(A) a representative of The University of Texas
29	29	System;
30	30	(B) a representative of The Texas A&M University
31	31	System;
32	32	(C) a representative of the University of Houston
33	33	System;
34	34	(D) a representative of the University of North
35	35	Texas System;
36	36	(E) a representative of the Texas Tech University
37	37	System;
38	38	(F) a representative of the Texas State
39	39	University System;
40	40	(G) a representative of the Texas State Technical
41	41	College System;
42	42	(H) a representative of the leading association
43	43	of Texas junior and community colleges;
44	44	(I) a representative of the leading association
45	45	of independent colleges and universities in Texas;
46	46	(J) a student enrolled at a general academic
47	47	teaching institution; and
48	48	(K) a student enrolled at a public junior
49	49	college;
50	50	(2) six persons who are not affiliated with a
51	51	particular university system, appointed as follows, with
52	52	consideration given to providing for ethnic, racial, gender, and
53	53	geographic diversity among the members of the commission:
54	54	(A) two persons appointed by the governor, at
55	55	least one of whom has demonstrated leadership and success in
56	56	business;
57	57	(B) two persons appointed by the lieutenant
58	58	governor, at least one of whom has demonstrated leadership and
59	59	success in business; and
60	60	(C) two persons appointed by the speaker of the
61	61	house of representatives, at least one of whom has demonstrated
62	62	leadership and success in business;
63	63	(3) two members of the Texas Higher Education
64	64	Coordinating Board appointed by the chair of the coordinating
65	65	board; and
66	66	(4) the state demographer.
67	67	(d) Appointments to the commission under Subsection (c)
68	68	shall be made not later than October 1, 2009.
69	69	(e) The governor shall designate as the presiding officer
70	70	of the commission a member of the commission who is not affiliated
71	71	with a particular university system or public or private
72	72	institution of higher education.
73	73	(f) The commission may request from any institution of
74	74	higher education or other state agency assistance or information
75	75	and, to the extent permissible under state and federal law and to
76	76	the extent practicable, the institution or agency shall provide the
77	77	assistance or information requested.
78	78	(g) The expenses of the commission shall be paid in equal
79	79	amounts from the contingent expense accounts of the senate and the
80	80	house of representatives, or as otherwise agreed to by the
81	81	lieutenant governor and the speaker of the house of
82	82	representatives. Members of the commission serve without
83	83	compensation but are entitled to reimbursement of travel expenses
84	84	incurred in carrying out the commission's duties.
85	85	(h) The commission may study any issue the commission
86	86	determines to be important to the future of higher education in this
87	87	state, including:
88	88	(1) incentives, including concurrent enrollment and
89	89	dual credit courses, and related requirements to facilitate
90	90	seamless student transitions between and among high schools, public
91	91	junior colleges, public technical institutes, public state
92	92	colleges, general academic teaching institutions, private and
93	93	independent institutions of higher education, and medical and
94	94	dental units;
95	95	(2) methods to improve communication and coordination
96	96	between institutions of higher education and the business community
97	97	to:
98	98	(A) create pathways to careers for students; and
99	99	(B) enhance curricula in a manner that will
100	100	benefit students, businesses, and the overall economy of the state;
101	101	(3) concerns regarding current and projected student
102	102	enrollment and enrollment capacity at The University of Texas at
103	103	Austin and Texas A&M University in College Station and methods for
104	104	ensuring that those elite institutions remain competitive with
105	105	other public and private flagship institutions of higher education;
106	106	(4) the creation of additional public flagship
107	107	research institutions of higher education, including studying
108	108	methods for:
109	109	(A) selecting the locations of those
110	110	institutions, including consideration of the feasibility of
111	111	selecting the locations through:
112	112	(i) a bidding or other competitive process
113	113	among communities in this state; or
114	114	(ii) solicitation of proposals from
115	115	existing public or private institutions of higher education,
116	116	businesses, or other appropriate entities; and
117	117	(B) ensuring that those additional flagship
118	118	institutions admit a qualified and diverse student body;
119	119	(5) methods:
120	120	(A) that can be used to identify the mission,
121	121	areas of specialization, and unique attributes of each institution
122	122	of higher education; and
123	123	(B) that the institutions can use to better
124	124	coordinate among themselves and to further develop, enhance, and
125	125	promote their respective missions;
126	126	(6) criteria for establishment of new graduate
127	127	programs;
128	128	(7) alternative methods of funding institutions of
129	129	higher education, with emphasis on studying how research
130	130	universities should be funded; and
131	131	(8) the TEXAS grant, Texas educational opportunity
132	132	grant, tuition equalization grant, and other financial aid
133	133	programs, including whether to add to the TEXAS grant program a
134	134	component that targets students at the preschool and primary and
135	135	secondary school levels to encourage those students to commit to
136	136	and succeed in higher education programs and that may include a
137	137	work-study requirement.
138	138	(i) Based on the commission's study under Subsection (h),
139	139	the commission shall prepare a report, including findings,
140	140	recommendations, and any proposed legislation the commission
141	141	determines would be beneficial to further the commission's
142	142	recommendations. The report must include recommendations for
143	143	improving financial aid programs to ensure that the maximum number
144	144	of eligible students receive financial aid and that a minimum
145	145	number of students are burdened with debt as a result of attending
146	146	institutions of higher education. Not later than October 1, 2010,
147	147	the commission shall submit the report to the Texas Higher
148	148	Education Coordinating Board and to the governor, the lieutenant
149	149	governor, the speaker of the house of representatives, and the
150	150	presiding officer of each legislative standing committee or
151	151	subcommittee with jurisdiction over higher education.
152	152	(j) This section expires January 1, 2011.
153	153	SECTION 2. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
154	154	a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
155	155	provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
156	156	Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
157	157	Act takes effect September 1, 2009.