By: Buckingham S.B. No. 1677
(In the Senate - Filed March 11, 2021; March 24, 2021, read
first time and referred to Committee on Higher Education;
April 19, 2021, reported adversely, with favorable Committee
Substitute by the following vote: Yeas 9, Nays 0; April 19, 2021,
sent to printer.)
Click here to see the committee vote
COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR S.B. No. 1677 By: Paxton
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to eliminating certain reporting and posting requirements
for public institutions of higher education and other state
agencies and the requirement for a plan by certain school districts
to increase enrollment in public institutions of higher education.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Section 51.402(b), Education Code, is amended to
read as follows:
(b) The governing board of each institution of higher
education in the state shall adopt rules and regulations concerning
faculty academic workloads. In adopting rules under this
subsection, each institution shall recognize that classroom
teaching, basic and applied research, and professional development
are important elements of faculty academic workloads by giving
appropriate weight to each activity when determining the standards
for faculty academic workload. An institution may give the same or
different weight to each activity and to other activities
recognized by the institution as important elements of faculty
academic workloads. [The established rules and regulations of each
institution shall be included in the operating budgets of each
institution.]
SECTION 2. Subchapter B, Chapter 61, Education Code, is
amended by adding Section 61.0341 to read as follows:
Sec. 61.0341. LIMITATION ON DATA COLLECTION AND REPORTING
REQUIREMENTS. (a) The legislature finds that data collection and
reporting requirements for institutions of higher education must be
limited and reduced to the extent feasible.
(b) If the commissioner of higher education determines that
the board has access to an alternative means of collecting data or
receiving information to be included in a report sufficient to
fulfill a requirement under this code, the board by rule may
eliminate the reporting requirement for that data or information.
SECTION 3. Section 659.0201(b), Government Code, is amended
to read as follows:
(b) A state agency that accepts a gift, grant, donation, or
other consideration from a person that the person designates to be
used as a salary supplement for an employee of the agency shall post
on the agency's Internet website[, in addition to the information
required by Section 659.026,] the amount of each gift, grant,
donation, or other consideration provided by the person that is
designated to be used as a salary supplement for an employee of the
agency. The agency may not post the name of the person.
SECTION 4. The following provisions are repealed:
(1) Sections 29.904 and 51.4031, Education Code; and
(2) Section 659.026, Government Code.
SECTION 5. This Act takes effect September 1, 2021.
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