1-1 By: Davila (Senate Sponsor - Barrientos) H.B. No. 3125 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 favorably by the following vote: 1-5 Yeas 10, Nays 0; May 18, 1997, sent to printer.) 1-6 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1-7 AN ACT 1-8 relating to student participation in the selection or retention of 1-9 food service providers at institutions of higher education. 1-10 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-11 SECTION 1. Subchapter Z, Chapter 51, Education Code, is 1-12 amended by adding Section 51.945 to read as follows: 1-13 Sec. 51.945. STUDENT PARTICIPATION IN SELECTION OF FOOD 1-14 SERVICE CONTRACTS. (a) The governing board of an institution of 1-15 higher education shall develop and implement policies that provide 1-16 the students at the institution with a reasonable opportunity to 1-17 appear before any committee or other entity that is determining 1-18 whether a food service provider should be selected or retained by 1-19 the institution. The policies shall provide the students with a 1-20 reasonable opportunity to discuss the performance of a food service 1-21 provider and the students' recommendations for qualifications of 1-22 food service providers. 1-23 (b) A contract between an institution of higher education 1-24 and a food service provider must require the food service provider 1-25 to periodically hold meetings or forums to provide the students at 1-26 the institution with a reasonable opportunity to discuss the 1-27 performance of the food service provider. 1-28 (c) In this section: 1-29 (1) "Food service provider" means a person who 1-30 contracts with the institution to provide food or beverage service 1-31 at any location on the premises of the institution. 1-32 (2) "Governing board" and "institution of higher 1-33 education" have the meanings assigned by Section 61.003. 1-34 SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 1997, and 1-35 applies only to a food service contract entered into by an 1-36 institution of higher education on or after the effective date of 1-37 this Act. A food service contract entered into before the effective 1-38 date of this Act is governed by the law as it existed before the 1-39 effective date of this Act, and that law is continued in effect for 1-40 that purpose. 1-41 SECTION 3. The importance of this legislation and the 1-42 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an 1-43 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the 1-44 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several 1-45 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended. 1-46 * * * * *