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.