Texas 2025 - 89th Regular

Texas Senate Bill SB1489 Compare Versions

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

Old	New	Differences
1	1	89R9252 MM-D
2	2	By: Bettencourt S.B. No. 1489
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7	7	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
8	8	AN ACT
9	9	relating to the governance of public institutions of higher
10	10	education, including the establishment of a faculty council or
11	11	senate and the decision-making authority of public institutions of
12	12	higher education.
13	13	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
14	14	SECTION 1. Subchapter G, Chapter 51, Education Code, is
15	15	amended by adding Sections 51.3522 and 51.3523 to read as follows:
16	16	Sec. 51.3522. FACULTY COUNCIL OR SENATE. (a) In this
17	17	section, "faculty council or senate" means a representative faculty
18	18	organization directly elected by the general faculty or colleges
19	19	and schools of an institution of higher education.
20	20	(b) Only the governing board of an institution of higher
21	21	education may establish or authorize the establishment of a faculty
22	22	council or senate at the institution.
23	23	(c) A faculty council or senate is advisory only. A faculty
24	24	council or senate may not:
25	25	(1) be delegated final decision-making authority on
26	26	any matter; or
27	27	(2) take action on behalf of the institution,
28	28	including approving personnel action or conducting an
29	29	investigation.
30	30	(d) Unless directed otherwise by the institution's
31	31	governing board, a faculty council or senate shall report to the
32	32	institution's president or other chief executive officer.
33	33	(e) Chapter 2110, Government Code, does not apply to a
34	34	faculty council or senate.
35	35	Sec. 51.3523. FACULTY COUNCIL OR SENATE MEETINGS OPEN TO
36	36	PUBLIC. (a) A faculty council or senate established in accordance
37	37	with Section 51.3522 shall conduct meetings at which a quorum is
38	38	present in a manner that is open to the public and in accordance
39	39	with procedures prescribed by the president of the institution.
40	40	(b) The procedures prescribed by the president must:
41	41	(1) provide for notice of the date, hour, place, and
42	42	subject of the meeting at least 72 hours before the meeting is
43	43	convened; and
44	44	(2) require that the notice be:
45	45	(A) posted on the Internet; and
46	46	(B) published in a student newspaper of the
47	47	institution, if an issue of the newspaper is published between the
48	48	time of the Internet posting and the time of the meeting.
49	49	(c) Any vote taken by a faculty council or senate must be
50	50	recorded and made public.
51	51	SECTION 2. Section 51.354, Education Code, is amended to
52	52	read as follows:
53	53	Sec. 51.354. INSTITUTIONAL AUTHORITY AND RESPONSIBILITY.
54	54	(a) The final decision-making authority on matters regarding an
55	55	institution of higher education's degree programs and curricula
56	56	belongs to the institution. The institution shall make the
57	57	decisions on those matters under the direction of the institution's
58	58	governing board.
59	59	(b) In addition to specific responsibilities imposed by
60	60	this code or other law, each institution of higher education has the
61	61	general responsibility to serve the public and, within the
62	62	institution's role and mission, to:
63	63	(1) transmit culture through general education;
64	64	(2) extend knowledge;
65	65	(3) teach and train students for professions;
66	66	(4) provide for scientific, engineering, medical, and
67	67	other academic research;
68	68	(5) protect intellectual exploration and academic
69	69	freedom;
70	70	(6) strive for intellectual excellence;
71	71	(7) provide educational opportunity for all who can
72	72	benefit from postsecondary education and training; and
73	73	(8) provide continuing education opportunities.
74	74	SECTION 3. A faculty council or senate established at a
75	75	public institution of higher education before the effective date of
76	76	this Act is abolished on October 1, 2025, unless:
77	77	(1) the faculty council or senate was established in
78	78	accordance with Section 51.3522, Education Code, as added by this
79	79	Act; or
80	80	(2) the faculty council's or senate's continuation is
81	81	ratified by the institution's governing board before that date.
82	82	SECTION 4. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
83	83	a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
84	84	provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
85	85	Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
86	86	Act takes effect September 1, 2025.