By Giddings, Jones H.B. No. 1151
74R5030 SMH-D
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
1-1 AN ACT
1-2 relating to the establishment of a historically black or Hispanic
1-3 college or university library improvement trust fund.
1-4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-5 SECTION 1. Chapter 61, Education Code, is amended by adding
1-6 Subchapter Q to read as follows:
1-7 SUBCHAPTER Q. HISTORICALLY BLACK OR HISPANIC COLLEGE OR
1-8 UNIVERSITY LIBRARY IMPROVEMENT TRUST FUND
1-9 Sec. 61.791. ESTABLISHMENT OF FUND. (a) The historically
1-10 black or Hispanic college or university library improvement trust
1-11 fund is a trust fund in the custody of the state treasurer.
1-12 (b) The board may accept gifts and grants from any public or
1-13 private source for the fund.
1-14 (c) The legislature shall appropriate $400,000 each biennium
1-15 to the fund.
1-16 Sec. 61.792. ADMINISTRATION OF FUND. The board shall
1-17 administer the fund.
1-18 Sec. 61.793. INVESTMENT OF FUND. (a) The state treasurer
1-19 shall invest the money in the fund.
1-20 (b) The income from the fund shall be deposited to the
1-21 credit of the fund.
1-22 Sec. 61.794. PLAN FOR LIBRARY ENHANCEMENT. (a) To receive
1-23 money from the fund, a historically black or Hispanic public or
1-24 private institution of higher education must develop a plan for
2-1 enhancing the institution's library and submit the plan to the
2-2 board. The plan must be updated annually. The plan must be
2-3 developed by a committee composed of librarians and faculty at the
2-4 institution and be approved by the president of the institution.
2-5 (b) A plan must include:
2-6 (1) an assessment of the adequacy of library holdings
2-7 in each academic discipline, considering the needs of students and
2-8 faculty in:
2-9 (A) disciplines that have recently been added to
2-10 the curriculum;
2-11 (B) traditional academic disciplines that have
2-12 been expanded; and
2-13 (C) academic disciplines in which rapid changes
2-14 in technology have resulted in accelerated obsolescence of related
2-15 library holdings;
2-16 (2) a list of library holdings that need to be
2-17 replaced; and
2-18 (3) a list, in order of priority, of books to be
2-19 purchased.
2-20 Sec. 61.795. USE OF FUND. (a) The board must approve the
2-21 use of money in the fund to finance a plan described by Section
2-22 61.794.
2-23 (b) The state treasurer shall pay money in the fund to a
2-24 historically black or Hispanic public or private institution of
2-25 higher education on a warrant drawn by the comptroller supported by
2-26 a voucher signed by the commissioner of higher education and the
2-27 chairman of the board or their authorized representatives.
3-1 (c) An institution that receives money from the fund must
3-2 use the money to:
3-3 (1) purchase books on the list described by Section
3-4 61.794(b)(3); or
3-5 (2) provide inservice training for the institution's
3-6 librarians.
3-7 (d) At least 50 percent of the books purchased by an
3-8 institution in any year with money from the fund must be in the
3-9 humanities.
3-10 (e) An institution that receives money from the fund may not
3-11 use the money to purchase:
3-12 (1) sectarian books; or
3-13 (2) periodicals.
3-14 SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 1995.
3-15 SECTION 3. The importance of this legislation and the
3-16 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
3-17 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
3-18 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
3-19 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.