1-1 By: Maxey, Dukes (Senate Sponsor - Ellis) H.B. No. 2146 1-2 (In the Senate - Received from the House April 21, 1997; 1-3 April 23, 1997, read first time and referred to Committee on 1-4 Education; May 18, 1997, reported adversely, with favorable 1-5 Committee Substitute by the following vote: Yeas 9, Nays 0; 1-6 May 18, 1997, sent to printer.) 1-7 COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR H.B. No. 2146 By: Shapleigh 1-8 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1-9 AN ACT 1-10 relating to studying minority participation in public higher 1-11 education. 1-12 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-13 SECTION 1. Subchapter C, Chapter 61, Education Code, is 1-14 amended by adding Section 61.080 to read as follows: 1-15 Sec. 61.080. CONTINUING STUDY OF MINORITY PARTICIPATION IN 1-16 HIGHER EDUCATION. (a) The board shall collect data and maintain a 1-17 database relating to the participation of members of racial and 1-18 ethnic minority groups in this state in public higher education, 1-19 including data relating to minority applications, recruitment, 1-20 admissions, retention, graduation, and professional licensing at 1-21 both the undergraduate and graduate levels. 1-22 (b) The board shall maintain a continuous study of the data 1-23 collected under Subsection (a) and of factors affecting that data. 1-24 (c) In order to avoid duplication with any other study by 1-25 the office of the comptroller, the board shall, through a 1-26 memorandum of understanding, work in conjunction with the 1-27 comptroller in conducting the study. 1-28 SECTION 2. (a) The Texas Higher Education Coordinating 1-29 Board shall institute and coordinate a study of the effects of 1-30 recent actions on the rates at which members of racial and ethnic 1-31 minority groups in this state apply for or are admitted to public 1-32 institutions of higher education in this state. 1-33 (b) The study shall consider any factors the coordinating 1-34 board can identify that may have affected or be affecting those 1-35 application and admission rates, including: 1-36 (1) recent legal developments, including the 1996 1-37 decision of the U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals in Hopwood v. 1-38 State; 1-39 (2) recent changes in application or student 1-40 recruiting procedures by public institutions of higher education; 1-41 and 1-42 (3) recent changes in admissions standards or 1-43 practices at public institutions of higher education. 1-44 (c) The study shall include recommendations for legislative 1-45 or administrative actions that may be taken to encourage or achieve 1-46 greater participation by members of racial and ethnic minority 1-47 groups in higher education in this state. 1-48 (d) In conducting the study, the coordinating board may 1-49 appoint advisory or other committees to assist in planning, 1-50 conducting, or analyzing the study. A committee may include any 1-51 educators, experts, or other persons willing to serve. The 1-52 coordinating board may request the assistance of any state agency, 1-53 office, department, or institution. Each public institution of 1-54 higher education shall cooperate with the board in conducting the 1-55 study. 1-56 (e) The coordinating board shall report its activities and 1-57 the findings of the study to the governor, the lieutenant governor, 1-58 and the speaker of the house of representatives not later than 1-59 December 1, 1998. 1-60 (f) This section expires January 1, 1999. 1-61 SECTION 3. The importance of this legislation and the 1-62 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an 1-63 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the 1-64 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several 2-1 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended, 2-2 and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its 2-3 passage, and it is so enacted. 2-4 * * * * *