1-1 AN ACT
1-2 relating to audits and annual performance reports of junior college
1-3 districts.
1-4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-5 SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 130, Education Code, is
1-6 amended by adding Section 130.0035 to read as follows:
1-7 Sec. 130.0035. PERFORMANCE REPORTS. (a) As soon as
1-8 practicable after the end of each academic year, a junior college
1-9 district shall prepare an annual performance report for that
1-10 academic year. The report shall be prepared in a form that would
1-11 enable any interested person, including a prospective student, to
1-12 understand the information in the report and to compare the
1-13 information to similar information for other junior college
1-14 districts. A junior college district shall make the report
1-15 available to any person on request.
1-16 (b) The report must include the following information for
1-17 the junior college district for the academic year covered by the
1-18 report:
1-19 (1) the rate at which students completed courses
1-20 attempted;
1-21 (2) the number and types of degrees and certificates
1-22 awarded;
1-23 (3) the percentage of graduates who passed licensing
1-24 exams related to the degree or certificate awarded, to the extent
2-1 the information can be determined;
2-2 (4) the number of students or graduates who transfer
2-3 to or are admitted to a public university;
2-4 (5) the passing rates for students required to be
2-5 tested under Section 51.306;
2-6 (6) the percentage of students enrolled who are
2-7 academically disadvantaged;
2-8 (7) the percentage of students enrolled who are
2-9 economically disadvantaged;
2-10 (8) the racial and ethnic composition of the
2-11 district's student body; and
2-12 (9) the percentage of student contact hours taught by
2-13 full-time faculty.
2-14 (c) The Legislative Budget Board shall develop recommended
2-15 standards for reports under this section, in consultation with
2-16 junior college districts, the Texas Higher Education Coordinating
2-17 Board, the governor's office of budget and planning, and the state
2-18 auditor.
2-19 (d) A junior college district is not required to prepare a
2-20 report under this section before the report covering the 1997-1998
2-21 academic year. This subsection expires January 1, 2000.
2-22 SECTION 2. Chapter 321, Government Code, is amended by
2-23 adding Section 321.0137 to read as follows:
2-24 Sec. 321.0137. INDEPENDENT AUDIT OF JUNIOR COLLEGE DISTRICT.
2-25 (a) At a reasonable time in advance of an independent audit of a
2-26 junior college district, the state auditor shall provide the
2-27 presiding officer of the district's governing body and the chief
3-1 executive officer of the district with written information relating
3-2 to the procedures for and scope of the audit. The state auditor
3-3 shall include in the materials information describing:
3-4 (1) how the appropriate representatives of the
3-5 district may participate in the audit planning process; and
3-6 (2) how the district may request information or
3-7 assistance in preparing for the audit from the state auditor.
3-8 (b) The state auditor shall seek the recommendations of the
3-9 Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board in preparing materials to
3-10 be provided under Subsection (a).
3-11 SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 1997.
3-12 SECTION 4. The importance of this legislation and the
3-13 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
3-14 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
3-15 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
3-16 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.
_______________________________ _______________________________
President of the Senate Speaker of the House
I certify that H.B. No. 2517 was passed by the House on April
30, 1997, by a non-record vote; that the House refused to concur in
Senate amendments to H.B. No. 2517 on May 24, 1997, and requested
the appointment of a conference committee to consider the
differences between the two houses; and that the House adopted the
conference committee report on H.B. No. 2517 on June 1, 1997, by a
non-record vote.
_______________________________
Chief Clerk of the House
I certify that H.B. No. 2517 was passed by the Senate, with
amendments, on May 22, 1997, by a viva-voce vote; at the request of
the House, the Senate appointed a conference committee to consider
the differences between the two houses; and that the Senate adopted
the conference committee report on H.B. No. 2517 on June 1, 1997,
by a viva-voce vote.
_______________________________
Secretary of the Senate
APPROVED: _____________________
Date
_____________________
Governor