83R2640 KEL-D
By: Branch H.B. No. 2765
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to the creation of the Texas competitive knowledge fund to
support excellence at qualifying institutions of higher education.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Subchapter C, Chapter 62, Education Code, is
amended to read as follows:
SUBCHAPTER C. TEXAS COMPETITIVE KNOWLEDGE [RESEARCH UNIVERSITY
DEVELOPMENT] FUND
Sec. 62.051. DEFINITIONS. In this subchapter:
(1) "Eligible institution" means an institution of
higher education that:
(A) is designated as a research university or
emerging research university under the coordinating board's
accountability system; and
(B) for any three consecutive state fiscal years
beginning on or after September 1, 2010, made total annual research
expenditures in an average annual amount of not less than $50
million.
(2) "Institution of higher education" has the meaning
assigned by Section 61.003.
Sec. 62.052. PURPOSE. The purpose of this subchapter is to
provide funding to research universities and emerging research
universities to support faculty to ensure excellence in instruction
and research [for the recruitment and retention of highly qualified
faculty and the enhancement of research productivity at those
universities].
Sec. 62.053. FUNDING. (a) For each state fiscal year, the
coordinating board shall distribute any funds appropriated by the
legislature for the purposes of this subchapter, and any other
funds made available for the purposes of this subchapter, to
eligible institutions based on the average amount of total research
funds expended by each institution annually during the three most
recent state fiscal years, at the rate of [according to the
following rates:
[(1)] at least $700,000 [$1 million] for every $10
million of the average annual amount of those research funds
expended by the institution[, if that average amount for the
institution is $50 million or more; and
[(2) at least $500,000 for every $10 million of the
average annual amount of those research funds expended by the
institution, if that average amount for the institution is less
than $50 million].
(b) For purposes of Subsection (a), the amount of total
research funds expended by an eligible institution in a state
fiscal year is the amount of those funds as reported to the
coordinating board by the institution for that fiscal year, subject
to any adjustment by the coordinating board in accordance with the
standards and accounting methods the coordinating board prescribes
for purposes of this section. If the funds available for
distribution for a state fiscal year under Subsection (a) are not
sufficient to provide the amount specified by Subsection (a) for
each eligible institution or exceed the amount sufficient for that
purpose, the available amount shall be distributed in proportion to
the total amount to which each institution is otherwise entitled
under Subsection (a).
Sec. 62.054. RULES. The coordinating board shall adopt
rules for the administration of this subchapter[, including any
rules the coordinating board considers necessary regarding the
submission to the coordinating board by eligible institutions of
any student data required for the coordinating board to carry out
its duties under this subchapter].
SECTION 2. (a) The Texas Higher Education Coordinating
Board, in consultation with institutions of higher education that
are eligible institutions under Subchapter C, Chapter 62, Education
Code, as amended by this Act, shall study and make recommendations
regarding the appropriate definitions and categories of research
expenditures to be included and applied in determining an
institution's eligibility for and the amount of distributions from
the Texas competitive knowledge fund established by that
subchapter.
(b) Not later than December 1, 2014, the coordinating board
shall report its study and deliver its recommendations to the:
(1) governor;
(2) lieutenant governor;
(3) speaker of the house of representatives;
(4) chair of the Senate Committee on Finance;
(5) chair of the Senate Committee on Higher Education;
(6) chair of the House Committee on Appropriations;
and
(7) chair of the House Committee on Higher Education.
(c) At the request of an institution of higher education
that consults with the coordinating board under this section, the
coordinating board shall include with its recommendations the
written response of the institution to those recommendations.
SECTION 3. The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board
shall adopt rules relating to the administration of Subchapter C,
Chapter 62, Education Code, as amended by this Act, as soon as
practicable after the effective date of this Act.
SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2013.