By:  Bivins                                           S.B. No. 1578

                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

                                       AN ACT

 1-1     relating to meetings of the Texas Higher Education Coordinating

 1-2     Board to consider higher education impact statements.

 1-3           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

 1-4           SECTION 1.  Subchapter F, Chapter 551, Government Code, is

 1-5     amended by adding Section 551.126 to read as follows:

 1-6           Sec. 551.126.  HIGHER EDUCATION COORDINATING BOARD.  (a)  In

 1-7     this section, "board" means the Texas Higher Education Coordinating

 1-8     Board.

 1-9           (b)  The board may hold an open meeting by telephone

1-10     conference call or video conference call in order to consider a

1-11     higher education impact statement if the preparation of a higher

1-12     education impact statement by the board is to be provided under the

1-13     rules of either the house of representatives or the senate.

1-14           (c)  A meeting held by telephone conference call must comply

1-15     with the procedures described in Section 551.125.

1-16           (d)  A meeting held by video conference call is subject to

1-17     the notice requirements applicable to other meetings.  In addition,

1-18     a meeting held by video conference call shall:

1-19                 (1)  be visible and audible to the public at the

1-20     location specified in the notice of the meeting as the location of

1-21     the meeting;

1-22                 (2)  be recorded by audio and video; and

1-23                 (3)  have two-way audio and video communications with

 2-1     each participant in the meeting during the entire meeting.

 2-2           SECTION 2.  Section 61.025, Education Code, is amended by

 2-3     amending Subsections (b) and (c) and adding Subsection (e) to read

 2-4     as follows:

 2-5           (b)  Except as provided by Section 551.126, Government Code,

 2-6     the [The] board shall hold regular quarterly meetings in the city

 2-7     of Austin, and other meetings at places and times scheduled by it

 2-8     in formal sessions and called by the chairman.

 2-9           (c)  Except as provided by Subsection (e), an [An] agenda for

2-10     the meetings in sufficient detail to indicate the items on which

2-11     final action is contemplated shall be mailed to the chairman of

2-12     each governing board and to the chief administrative officer of

2-13     each state institution of higher education at least 30 days prior

2-14     to the meeting.

2-15           (e)  The board may hold a meeting to consider a higher

2-16     education impact statement, if a higher education impact statement

2-17     by the board is to be provided under the rules of either the house

2-18     of representatives or the senate.  The meeting shall be called by

2-19     the chair and the board shall provide notice of the meeting in

2-20     accordance with Chapter 551, Government Code.  The board is not

2-21     required to mail an agenda 30 days in advance to the governing

2-22     boards and institutions as provided in Subsection (c), for a

2-23     meeting to consider a higher education impact statement.

2-24           SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the

2-25     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

 3-1     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

 3-2     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

 3-3     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,

 3-4     and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its

 3-5     passage, and it is so enacted.