HBA-MPM H.B. 3284 76(R) BILL ANALYSIS Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 3284 By: Van de Putte Higher Education 3/31/1999 Introduced BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Athletic opportunities for men have traditionally been greater than those for women. H.B. 3284 establishes the women's development fund, administered by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, to help reduce the disparity between women's and men's athletics and to promote equity. This bill additionally expands opportunities to high school students whose schools, due to economic factors, have limited athletic facilities, programs, and opportunities. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that this bill does not expressly delegate any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution. SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS SECTION 1. Amends Chapter 51, Education Code, by adding Subchapter T, as follows: SUBCHAPTER T. WOMEN'S ATHLETIC DEVELOPMENT FUND Sec. 51.851. DEFINITIONS. Defines for the purpose of this subchapter the following terms: "board," "fund," and "institution of higher education." Sec. 51.852. FUND. Requires the Texas Higher Education Board (board) to administer the fund. Sec. 51.853. USE OF FUND. Requires the board to allocate money in the fund to institutions of higher education for the establishment of women's athletic development programs operated by the institution on a collaborative basis with one or more public high schools in this state. Sec. 51.854. CRITERIA IN SELECTING PROGRAMS. Requires the board, in selecting which programs may be provided with money from the funds, to give priority to programs addressing the needs of public school students whose economic conditions limit their availability of athletic facilities, programs, and opportunities. Requires the board to consider other relevant factors, including whether the program promotes gender equity, includes the participation of collegiate-level coaches and athletes, and has a history of increasing athletic opportunities. SECTION 2. Requires the board to conduct a best practices study of women's athletic development programs currently operating at institutions of higher education in Texas and other states. Requires the board to make its findings and recommendations available in a report to the legislature and to institutions of higher education. Requires the report to include an analysis of the effect of the programs studied under this section on student enrollment in institutions of higher education and performance. Provides this report is due by December 1, 2000. SECTION 3. Effective date: September 1, 1999. SECTION 4. Emergency clause.