BILL ANALYSIS H.B. 1250 By: Cook (Sibley) Education 04-20-95 Senate Committee Report (Unamended) BACKGROUND During the 73rd Legislature, S.B. 485 was adopted, which requires the members of governing boards of higher education to attend a training seminar in Austin within the first two years of service. However, the law 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 As proposed, H.B. 1250 allows the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board to develop alternative means for members of governing boards to comply with the training requirement under current law. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the committee's opinion that rulemaking authority is granted to the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board under SECTION 1 (Sec. 61.084(b), Education Code) of this bill. SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS SECTION 1. Amends and renumbers Section 61.083, Education Code, as Section 61.084, as follows: Sec. 61.084. TRAINING FOR MEMBERS OF GOVERNING BOARDS. (a) Requires each member of a governing board of an institution of higher education (institution) to attend, during the member's first two years of service as a member of a governing board of an institution, at least one training program under this section. Provides that may, but need not, attend additional training programs. (b) Authorizes the staff of the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (board) to obtain assistance from representatives of certain offices, the Texas Ethics Commission, and from other training personnel the board deems necessary. Authorizes the board, by rule, to prescribe an alternative training program for members of governing boards for whom attendance at a seminar held in Austin would be a hardship. Provides that the alternative training program need not be in the form of a seminar but must include substantially the same information included in the seminar held in Austin. (c) Makes conforming changes. (d) Authorizes topics covered by the training program to include, among others, the requirements of the open meetings law, Chapter 551, Government Code, and the open records law, Chapter 552, Government Code; and any other topic relating to higher education the board considers important. Makes conforming changes. Deletes references to budgeting and policy development. SECTION 2. Effective date: September 1, 1995. SECTION 3. Emergency clause.