84R11955 JRJ-D
By: Zerwas H.B. No. 3569
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Section 61.022, Education Code, is amended by
amending Subsection (a) and adding Subsection (a-1) to read as
follows:
(a) The board shall consist of nine members appointed by the
governor [so as to provide representation from all areas of the
state] with the advice and consent of the senate, and as the
constitution provides. Members must be appointed as follows:
(1) five members representing different geographic
regions of the state;
(2) one member representing the business and industry
community; and
(3) three members representing different types of
institutions of higher education.
(a-1) Members of the board serve staggered six-year terms.
The terms of one-third of the members expire August 31 of each
odd-numbered year.
SECTION 2. Sections 61.051(a) and (a-5), Education Code,
are amended to read as follows:
(a) The board represents the highest authority in the state
in matters of public higher education and is charged with the duty
to take an active part in promoting quality education throughout
the state by coordinating the pathway of students through the
higher education system of this state by:
(1) providing a statewide perspective to ensure the
efficient and effective use of higher education resources and to
eliminate unnecessary duplication;
(2) developing and evaluating progress toward a
long-range master plan for higher education and providing analysis
and recommendations to link state spending for higher education
with the goals of the long-range master plan;
(3) collecting and making accessible data on higher
education in the state and aggregating and analyzing that data to
support policy recommendations;
(4) making recommendations to improve the efficiency
and effectiveness of transitions, including between high school and
postsecondary education, between institutions of higher education
for transfer purposes, and between postsecondary education and the
workforce; and
(5) administering programs and trusteed funds for
financial aid and other grants as necessary to achieve the state's
long-range goals and as directed by the legislature.
(a-5) In conjunction with development of the long-range
master plan under Subsection (a-1), the board shall evaluate the
role and mission of each institution of higher education [general
academic teaching institution, other than a public state college,]
to ensure that the roles and missions of the institutions
collectively contribute to the state's goals identified in the
master plan.
SECTION 3. Section 61.0512(c), Education Code, is amended
to read as follows:
(c) The board shall review each degree or certificate
program offered by an institution of higher education at the time
the institution requests to implement a new program to ensure that
the program:
(1) is needed by the state and the local community and
does not unnecessarily duplicate programs offered by other
institutions of higher education or private or independent
institutions of higher education;
(2) has adequate financing from legislative
appropriation, funds allocated by the board, or funds from other
sources;
(3) has necessary faculty and other resources to
ensure student success; [and]
(4) meets academic standards specified by law or
prescribed by board rule, including rules adopted by the board for
purposes of this section, or workforce standards established by the
Texas Workforce Investment Council; and
(5) will positively impact the state's economy and
assist in meeting the state's workforce needs.
SECTION 4. Section 61.059(a), Education Code, is amended to
read as follows:
(a) To finance a system of higher education and to secure an
equitable distribution of state funds deemed to be available for
higher education, the board shall perform the functions described
in this section. Funding policies shall:
(1) allocate resources efficiently and provide
incentives for programs of superior quality and for institutional
diversity;
(2) provide incentives for supporting the five-year
master plan developed and revised under Section 61.051;
(3) discourage unnecessary duplication of course
offerings between institutions and unnecessary construction on any
campus; [and]
(4) emphasize an alignment with education goals
established by the board; and
(5) encourage course offerings that will positively
impact the state's economy.
SECTION 5. Section 61.0592(d), Education Code, is amended
to read as follows:
(d) In addition to the funding included under Subsection
(c), in the formulas established under Section 61.059, as an
incentive for the institutions to reduce tuition rates under
Section 54.061, the board may include additional funding that
represents a portion of the savings to the state resulting from the
institution's efficient use of resources, which may be used to
provide grants to students enrolling in courses offered during
off-peak hours.
SECTION 6. Section 61.07761, Education Code, is amended by
adding Subsection (c) to read as follows:
(c) The board may adjust amounts distributed under
financial aid allocation methodologies established under this
section as necessary to ensure the efficient use of funds in serving
the higher education needs of students in this state.
SECTION 7. The change in law made by this Act to Section
61.022, Education Code, applies beginning with the first
appointment made following the effective date of this Act. A member
of the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board on the effective
date of this Act is governed by the law in effect on the date the
appointment of that member was made, and the former law is continued
in effect for that purpose.
SECTION 8. This Act takes effect September 1, 2015.