BILL ANALYSIS


                                                        H.B. 2507
                                           By: Swinford (Sponsor)
                                                        Education
                                                         05-11-95
                              Senate Committee Report (Unamended)
BACKGROUND

During the appropriations hearings for the next biennium, the
subcommittee on education recommended zero funding for Texas State
Technical College-Amarillo (TSTC-Amarillo).  The Legislative Budget
Board's funding recommendation fell approximately $1.4 million
dollars below what TSTC-Amarillo needed for continuation through
the next biennium.  The need for a technical educational center in
Amarillo still exists.  The Appropriations Committee approved in
H.B. 1 transitional funding for TSTC-Amarillo to be combined with
Amarillo College.  

PURPOSE

As proposed, H.B. 2507 provides for the leasing of TSTC-Amarillo to
Amarillo College.

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. DEFINITIONS.  Defines "college" and "system."

SECTION 2. LEASE AND TRANSFER AGREEMENT.  Sets forth the lease and
transfer agreement between the board of regents (board) of the
Texas State Technical College System (system) and the board of
trustees (trustees) of Amarillo College (college).

SECTION 3. POWERS AND DUTIES.  Sets forth the powers and duties of
the trustees for the governance, operation, management, and control
of the college.

SECTION 4. APPROPRIATIONS AND FEDERAL FUNDS; BOND REPAYMENT.  (a) 
Sets forth the implementation plan of the lease and transfer
agreement.

     (b)  Authorizes the legislature to appropriate money to the
     college in support of the lease and transfer agreement.
     
     (c)  Transfers appropriations made to the system for the use
     and benefit of the programs operated on the Amarillo campus to
     the college for the use and benefit of programs operated on
     that campus.
     
     (d)  Requires any federal technical-vocational education money
     designated for the system's Amarillo campus to be transferred
     to the college for the benefit of the campus.
SECTION 5. CONTRACTS AND WRITTEN OBLIGATIONS; ACCOUNTS PAYABLE. 
(a)  Ratifies, confirms, and validates contracts and written
obligations of every kind and character entered into by the board
of the system for and on behalf of the system's Amarillo campus. 
Provides that the board of trustees of the college is substituted
for and stands and acts in the place of the board of the system.

     (b)  Provides that bonds issued by or on behalf of the system
     remain the obligation of the system.
     
     (c)  Requires the system to transfer to the college all money
     applicable to the fall quarter, 1995, that the system collects
     prior to the effective date of the lease and transfer
     agreement.
SECTION 6. LIABILITIES.  (a)  Provides that any liability
pertaining to the system's Amarillo campus before the effective
date of the lease and transfer agreement remains the responsibility
of the system.

     (b)  Provides that any future liabilities that result from
     contamination or other conditions present at the system's
     Amarillo campus before the effective date of the lease remain
     the responsibility of the system.
SECTION 7. EMPLOYEE INSURANCE AND OTHER BENEFITS.  Sets forth
employee insurance and other benefits.

SECTION 8. EFFECT ON STUDENTS.  (a)  Provides that this Act and the
agreement described by this Act do not affect the credit hours
earned by students at the system's Amarillo campus before the
effective date of this Act.

     (b)  Authorizes the college to collect from students enrolled
     in programs on the campus tuition and fees applicable to
     similar programs of the system and to determine the residency
     of those students in accordance with the law applicable to
     system students.
SECTION 9. Emergency clause.
           Effective date:  upon passage.