H.B. No. 1250
1-1 AN ACT
1-2 relating to training for members of the governing boards of public
1-3 institutions of higher education.
1-4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-5 SECTION 1. Section 61.083, Education Code, as added by
1-6 Chapter 621, Acts of the 73rd Legislature, Regular Session, 1993,
1-7 is renumbered as Section 61.084, Education Code, and amended to
1-8 read as follows:
1-9 Sec. 61.084 <61.083>. TRAINING FOR MEMBERS OF GOVERNING
1-10 BOARDS. (a) The board by rule shall establish a training program
1-11 for members of the governing boards of institutions of higher
1-12 education. Each member of a governing board of an institution of
1-13 higher education shall attend, during the member's first two years
1-14 of service as a member of a governing board of an institution of
1-15 higher education, at least one training program <seminar> under
1-16 this section. A member may, but need not, attend additional
1-17 training programs <seminars> under this section.
1-18 (b) The training program must include a <two-day> seminar
1-19 held annually in Austin to be conducted by the staff of the board.
1-20 The staff of the board may obtain assistance from<, by>
1-21 representatives of <from> the office of the attorney general, the
1-22 office of the comptroller of public accounts, the office of the
1-23 state auditor, and the Texas Ethics Commission<,> and from <by>
1-24 other training personnel the board deems necessary. The board by
2-1 rule may prescribe an alternative training program for members of
2-2 governing boards for whom attendance at a seminar held in Austin
2-3 would be a hardship. The alternative training program need not be
2-4 in the form of a seminar but must include substantially the same
2-5 information included in the seminar held in Austin.
2-6 (c) The board by rule shall establish a registration fee to
2-7 be paid by training program <seminar> participants in an amount
2-8 adequate to cover the costs incurred by the board and other state
2-9 agencies in providing the training program. A <seminar>
2-10 participant shall pay from private funds the fee required by this
2-11 subsection and the participant's costs of travel, including
2-12 transportation, lodging, and meals. Neither the fee required by
2-13 this subsection nor a <seminar> participant's travel costs shall be
2-14 reimbursed from appropriated funds, other than grants and donations
2-15 of private funds available for that purpose.
2-16 (d) The content of the instruction at the training program
2-17 <seminar> shall focus on the official role and duties of the
2-18 members of governing boards and shall provide training in the areas
2-19 of budgeting, policy development, and governance. Topics covered
2-20 by the training program may include <as follows>:
2-21 (1) <one day of the seminar shall be devoted to the
2-22 area of budgeting and shall provide training and information in the
2-23 following areas:>
2-24 <(A) budget development;>
2-25 <(B) budgeting procedures; and>
2-26 <(C) a review of> auditing procedures and <of>
2-27 recent audits of institutions of higher education; <and>
3-1 (2) <one day of the seminar shall be devoted to the
3-2 areas of policy development and governance and shall provide
3-3 training and information in the following areas:>
3-4 <(A)> the enabling legislation that creates
3-5 institutions of higher education;
3-6 (3) <(B)> the role of the governing board at
3-7 institutions of higher education and the relationship between the
3-8 governing board and an institution's administration, faculty and
3-9 staff, and students;
3-10 (4) <(C)> the mission statements of institutions of
3-11 higher education;
3-12 <(D) policy development;>
3-13 (5) <(E)> disciplinary and investigative authority of
3-14 the governing board;
3-15 (6) <(F)> the requirements of the open meetings law,
3-16 Chapter 551, Government Code <271, Acts of the 60th Legislature,
3-17 Regular Session, 1967 (Article 6252-17, Vernon's Texas Civil
3-18 Statutes)>, and the open records law, Chapter 552, Government Code
3-19 <424, Acts of the 63rd Legislature, Regular Session, 1973 (Article
3-20 6252-17a, Vernon's Texas Civil Statutes)>;
3-21 (7) <(G)> the requirements of conflict of interest
3-22 laws and other laws relating to public officials; <and>
3-23 (8) <(H)> any applicable ethics policies adopted by
3-24 institutions of higher education or the Texas Ethics Commission;
3-25 and
3-26 (9) any other topic relating to higher education the
3-27 board considers important.
4-1 SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 1995.
4-2 SECTION 3. The importance of this legislation and the
4-3 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
4-4 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
4-5 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
4-6 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.