By: Wilson H.B. No. 1063
73R3985 SOS-D
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
1-1 AN ACT
1-2 relating to student representation on the board of regents of The
1-3 University of Texas System.
1-4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-5 SECTION 1. Subchapter B, Chapter 65, Education Code, is
1-6 amended by adding Section 65.17 to read as follows:
1-7 Sec. 65.17. Student Regent. (a) The governor shall appoint
1-8 an undergraduate student from a panel of nominees to serve as a
1-9 nonvoting member of the board of regents. The panel shall be
1-10 composed of one nominee from each general academic teaching
1-11 institution in the system, selected by its student government or,
1-12 in the absence of a student government, through campuswide
1-13 election.
1-14 (b) To be eligible for appointment as the student regent, an
1-15 individual must:
1-16 (1) have been enrolled as an undergraduate in a system
1-17 general academic teaching institution for at least nine semester
1-18 credit hours each regular semester during the academic year prior
1-19 to the time of appointment; and
1-20 (2) be a resident of this state.
1-21 (c) The student regent shall regularly communicate with and
1-22 receive input from student representatives from each general
1-23 academic teaching institution in the system, designated by its
1-24 student government. In the absence of a student government, the
2-1 student regent shall regularly communicate with the student body of
2-2 the general academic teaching institution by any other reasonable
2-3 means. Any reasonable expenses incurred under this subsection
2-4 shall be paid by the student government or, in the absence of a
2-5 student government, from local funds of the institution.
2-6 (d) A student regent who ceases to be enrolled in a system
2-7 general academic teaching institution for at least nine semester
2-8 credit hours each regular semester vacates the office. A vacancy
2-9 shall be filled by appointment of the governor. The governor shall
2-10 fill the vacancy by appointing a person from the panel of nominees.
2-11 A summer session is not a semester under this subsection.
2-12 (e) The student regent holds office for a term of two years,
2-13 with the term expiring on September 1 of each odd-numbered year.
2-14 (f) Except for voting privileges, the student regent is
2-15 entitled to participate in all meetings and other activities of the
2-16 board of regents.
2-17 (g) A student regent may not be appointed from the same
2-18 general academic teaching institution for consecutive terms.
2-19 (h) The student regent serves in addition to the nine
2-20 regents provided by Section 65.11 of this code.
2-21 (i) In this section:
2-22 (1) "General academic teaching institution" has the
2-23 meaning assigned by Section 61.003 of this code.
2-24 (2) "Student government" means the representative
2-25 student organization directly elected by the student body of a
2-26 general academic teaching institution.
2-27 SECTION 2. Not later than November 1, 1993, the governor
3-1 shall appoint the initial student member to the board of regents of
3-2 The University of Texas System, as required by Section 65.17,
3-3 Education Code, as added by this Act, for a term expiring September
3-4 1, 1995.
3-5 SECTION 3. The importance of this legislation and the
3-6 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
3-7 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
3-8 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
3-9 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,
3-10 and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its
3-11 passage, and it is so enacted.