By: Parker S.B. No. 485
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
1-1 relating to training for members of the governing boards of
1-2 institutions of higher education.
1-3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-4 SECTION 1. Subchapter C, Chapter 61, Education Code, is
1-5 amended by adding Section 61.083 to read as follows:
1-6 Sec. 61.083. TRAINING FOR MEMBERS OF GOVERNING BOARDS.
1-7 (a) The board by rule shall establish a training program for
1-8 members of the governing boards of institutions of higher
1-9 education.
1-10 (b) The training program shall require the attendance of all
1-11 governing board members at a two-day seminar held annually in
1-12 Austin to be conducted by the staff of the board, by
1-13 representatives from the office of the attorney general, the office
1-14 of the comptroller of public accounts, the office of the state
1-15 auditor, and the Texas Ethics Commission, and by other training
1-16 personnel the board deems necessary.
1-17 (c) The board by rule shall establish a registration fee to
1-18 be paid by seminar participants in an amount adequate to cover the
1-19 costs incurred by the board and other state agencies in providing
1-20 the training program. A seminar participant shall pay from private
1-21 funds the fee required by this subsection and the participant's
1-22 costs of travel, including transportation, lodging, and meals.
1-23 Neither the fee required by this subsection or a seminar
2-1 participant's travel costs shall be reimbursed from public funds,
2-2 other than grants and donations of private funds available for that
2-3 purpose.
2-4 (d) The content of the instruction at the seminar shall
2-5 focus on the official role and duties of the members of governing
2-6 boards and shall provide training in the areas of budgeting, policy
2-7 development, and governance as follows:
2-8 (1) one day of the seminar shall be devoted to the
2-9 area of budgeting and shall provide training and information in the
2-10 following areas:
2-11 (A) budget development;
2-12 (B) budgeting procedures; and
2-13 (C) a review of auditing procedures and of
2-14 recent audits of institutions of higher education; and
2-15 (2) one day of the seminar shall be devoted to the
2-16 areas of policy development and governance and shall provide
2-17 training and information in the following areas:
2-18 (A) the enabling legislation that creates
2-19 institutions of higher education;
2-20 (B) the role of the governing board at
2-21 institutions of higher education and the relationship between the
2-22 governing board and an institution's administration, faculty and
2-23 staff, and students;
2-24 (C) the mission statements of institutions of
2-25 higher education;
3-1 (D) policy development;
3-2 (E) disciplinary and investigative authority of
3-3 the governing board;
3-4 (F) the requirements of the open meetings law,
3-5 Chapter 271, Acts of the 60th Legislature, Regular Session, 1967
3-6 (Article 6252-17, Vernon's Texas Civil Statutes), and the open
3-7 records law, Chapter 424, Acts of the 63rd Legislature, Regular
3-8 Session, 1973 (Article 6252-17a, Vernon's Texas Civil Statutes);
3-9 (G) the requirements of conflict of interest
3-10 laws and other laws relating to public officials; and
3-11 (H) any applicable ethics policies adopted by
3-12 institutions of higher education or the Texas Ethics Commission.
3-13 SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 1993.
3-14 SECTION 3. The importance of this legislation and the
3-15 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
3-16 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
3-17 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
3-18 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.