By Haywood                                       S.B. No. 610

      75R1437 CAG-D                           

                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

 1-1                                   AN ACT

 1-2     relating to the establishment of faculty compensation policies at

 1-3     state-supported institutions of higher education.

 1-4           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

 1-5           SECTION 1.  Subchapter Z, Chapter 51, Education Code, is

 1-6     amended by adding Section 51.9085 to read as follows:

 1-7           Sec. 51.9085.  FACULTY COMPENSATION POLICY UNTIL 2003.

 1-8     (a)  The governing board of each institution of higher education

 1-9     shall determine if the average salary of each faculty level at that

1-10     institution for the state fiscal biennium ending September 1, 1997,

1-11     is greater than or less than the average salary for that faculty

1-12     level paid at public institutions of higher education by the 10

1-13     most populous states, not including this state, according to the

1-14     most recent information available.

1-15           (b)  If the average salary of a faculty level at the

1-16     institution is less than the average salary for that faculty level

1-17     paid by the other states, the coordinating board shall provide to

1-18     the governing board a formula to reduce the percentage difference

1-19     between the average salaries by one-third in each of the next three

1-20     state fiscal bienniums, to the extent funds are available, so that

1-21     at the end of the third biennium the average salary of each faculty

1-22     level at institutions of higher education in this state is equal to

1-23     or exceeds the average salary of the faculty level paid by the

1-24     other states.

 2-1           (c)  A formula developed under this section shall be adjusted

 2-2     for the difference in the mean cost of living of each of the other

 2-3     states and the cost of living in this state, as determined by the

 2-4     coordinating board.

 2-5           (d)  In addition to information collected under Section

 2-6     51.908, the coordinating board shall include in the board's master

 2-7     plan for higher education and in appropriate reports to the

 2-8     legislature information relating to the average salary of each

 2-9     level of faculty at public institutions of higher education in each

2-10     of the 10 most populous states, excluding this state, adjusted to

2-11     reflect differences between the mean cost of living in each of

2-12     those states and the mean cost of living in this state.

2-13           (e)  This section expires August 31, 2003.

2-14           SECTION 2.  The importance of this legislation and the

2-15     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

2-16     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

2-17     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

2-18     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,

2-19     and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its

2-20     passage, and it is so enacted.