BILL ANALYSIS H.B. 1250 By: Cook 02-15-95 Committee Report (Unamended) BACKGROUND During the 73rd Regular Session of the Legislature, Senate Bill 485 was adopted which requires the members of the governing boards of institutions of higher education to attend a training seminar in Austin within the first two years of service. The Senate Bill made no provision for an alternative method of complying with this training requirement. As a result, a hardship has been placed on governing board members from rural and distant areas to attend the seminar in Austin. PURPOSE This legislation proposes to allow the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board to develop alternative means for members of governing boards to comply with the training requirement under the Education Code, Article 61.083. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, institution, or agency. SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS SECTION 1. Amends Chapter 61 C, Education Code, Section 61.083 by renumbering as Section 61.084 to read as follows: Sec. 61.084. TRAINING FOR MEMBERS OF GOVERNING BOARDS. (a) Requires the attendance at a training program rather than a seminar. (b) This section eliminates the two-day provision of the seminar. In addition, it provides that the board "may" rather than "shall" obtain assistance from certain state agencies in providing the training program. And, the subsection allows the board to prescribe an alternative training program for members of governing boards for whom attendance would be a hardship. (c) Deletes "seminar" and replaces it with "training program". (d) Deletes "seminar" and replaces it with "training program". The subsection also indicates that the board may include other topics: (1) Deletes redundant language as to the required content of the training program. (2) Deletes redundant language as to the required content of the training program. (3) Renumbers subsection B as subsection 3. (4) Renumbers subsection C as subsection 4. Deletes subsection D. (5) Renumbers subsection E as subsection 5. (6) Renumbers subsection F as subsection 6. This subsection adds Chapter 551 and Chapter 552, Government Code, and deletes the citations from the Vernon's Texas Civil Statutes. (7) Renumbers subsection G as subsection 7. (8) Renumbers subsection H as subsection 8. (9) Allows the board to include any other topic relating to higher education that the board considers important. SECTION 2. Effective date: September 1, 1995. SECTION 3. Emergency clause. SUMMARY OF COMMITTEE ACTION H.B. 1250 was considered by the committee in a public hearing on February 28, 1995. The following person testified in favor of the H.B. 1250: Mr. Jim Puryear, Board Member, Cisco Jr. College. The Chair recognized Representative Kamel who moved that the bill be reported favorably with the recommendation that it do pass and be printed and be sent to the Committee on Local and Consent Calendars. The motion prevailed by a record vote of 6 ayes, 0 nays, 0 pnv, and 3 absent.