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House Bill 317 |
House Author: Miller et al. |
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Effective: Vetoed |
Senate Sponsor: Fraser |
House Bill 317 amends the Education Code to require the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board to conduct a study to determine the merits of allowing public colleges and universities to issue revenue bonds or other obligations to finance capital projects at branch campuses, extension centers, system centers, and multi-institutional teaching centers, regardless of campus or center student enrollment levels. The bill requires the study also to determine any enrollment levels that may be appropriate to serve as a statutory prerequisite for issuing the revenue bonds or obligations to finance capital projects at those campuses and centers.
The bill repeals provisions that prohibited The Texas A&M University System and the University of North Texas System from issuing revenue bonds to finance facilities at Texas A&M University--San Antonio, Texas A&M University--Central Texas, and the University of North Texas Dallas Campus.
Reason Given for Veto: "House Bill No. 317 would repeal sections of the Texas Education Code that set enrollment requirements for the issuance of tuition revenue bonds (TRBs) for three small branch campuses, or "centers." The bill as filed would lower enrollment requirements for Tarleton State University System Center - Central Texas. House Bill No. 317 was amended to remove requirements completely for that center, as well as the University of North Texas System Center at Dallas and the Texas A&M University System Center at San Antonio.
"The TRBs for the centers were authorized during the Third Called Special Session of the 79th Legislature with the understanding that the enrollment requirement necessary for their issuance would be set at 1,500 students for one semester, at which point they would have already become stand-alone institutions of higher education. It is my position that the centers should reach stand-alone status prior to the issuance of TRBs.
"Furthermore, the centers have not experienced significant growth. In fact, their enrollment has remained relatively flat. This indicates that the centers are appropriately serving their area's educational needs without additional facilities. The repeal of the enrollment requirements necessary for the issuance of TRBs would result in greater state appropriations and sets a bad precedent for the future."