BILL ANALYSIS



H.B. 1664
By: Horn
03-04-95
Committee Report (Amended)


BACKGROUND

Currently, the governing board of an institution of higher
education is only required to post notice of their meeting with the
Secretary of State's office in Austin seventy-two hours before the
event.  The Texas Register prints the dates and times of these
meetings.  However, the print date is often after the meeting has
occurred, thus people in the vicinity of the institution are not
informed in a timely manner of the meetings.


PURPOSE

This bill requires the governing board of an institution of higher
education to post notice of meetings at the local county
courthouse.


RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly
grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer,
department, agency, or institution.

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1.  Amends Chapter 551 C, Government Code, by adding
Section 551.055 to read as follows:

     Sec. 551.055. INSTITUTION OF HIGHER EDUCATION.  The governing
board of an institution of higher education must post notice of
each meeting at the county courthouse of the county in which the
meeting will be held, and may post notice in a student newspaper of
the institution and at other locations convenient to public access.

SECTION 2. Effective date:  October 1, 1995.

SECTION 3. Emergency clause.

EXPLANATION OF AMENDMENT

Committee amendment No. 1 states that the governing board of an
institution of higher education shall post notice in a student
newspaper of the institution.


SUMMARY OF COMMITTEE ACTION

H.B. 1664 was considered by the committee in a public hearing on
March 14, 1995.  The committee considered one amendment to the
bill.  The amendment was adopted without objection by a non-record
vote.  The bill was reported favorably as amended, with the
recommendation that it do pass and be printed and be sent to the
Committee on Local and Consent Calendars, by a record vote of 8
ayes, 0 nays, 0 pnv, 1 absent.