Enrolled Bill Summary

            House Bill 81 amends the Government Code to replace the State Conservatorship Board with individual conservators appointed by the governor with the advice and consent of the senate to administer conservatorships of specific state agencies or public junior colleges. The board is abolished on the act's effective date or on dissolution of an existing conservatorship that continues beyond that date. A conservator has powers similar to the board, including rulemaking.

            The legislative audit committee, in lieu of recommending to the governor the appointment of a conservator, may recommend to a state agency that it enter into a rehabilitation plan. This same option does not apply to a public junior college. The agency must engage the services of an independent consulting team approved by the governor and the presiding officer and assistant presiding officer of the legislative audit committee. The team, which may include the state auditor, one or more state agencies, and private consultants, assists the agency in developing a rehabilitation plan for approval by the agency's governing body, the governor, and the legislative audit committee. If the agency does not adopt the plan within a reasonable time or if the state auditor informs the governor that the agency is not making sufficient progress toward plan implementation, the governor may appoint a conservator.