By Lewis of Orange, et al. H.B. No. 1297
76R8558 KEL-D
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
1-1 AN ACT
1-2 relating to changing the names of Lamar University at Orange, Lamar
1-3 University at Port Arthur, and Lamar University Institute of
1-4 Technology.
1-5 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-6 SECTION 1. Section 96.703, Education Code, is amended to
1-7 read as follows:
1-8 Sec. 96.703. LAMAR [UNIVERSITY] INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY.
1-9 (a) The board shall establish and maintain an educational center
1-10 of Lamar University as a separate degree-granting institution to be
1-11 known as Lamar [University] Institute of Technology.
1-12 (b) The primary purpose of the institute is to teach
1-13 technical and vocational courses and related supporting courses.
1-14 The board may confer degrees appropriate to the institute's
1-15 curriculum.
1-16 SECTION 2. Section 96.704, Education Code, is amended to
1-17 read as follows:
1-18 Sec. 96.704. LAMAR STATE COLLEGE--PORT ARTHUR AND LAMAR
1-19 STATE COLLEGE--ORANGE [EDUCATIONAL CENTERS AT PORT ARTHUR AND
1-20 ORANGE]. (a) The board shall establish and maintain coeducational
1-21 lower-division institutions of higher education as separate
1-22 accredited degree-granting institutions in the counties of
1-23 Jefferson and Orange, to be known as Lamar State
1-24 College--[University at] Port Arthur and Lamar State
2-1 College--[University at] Orange, to teach only freshman- and
2-2 sophomore-level courses.
2-3 (b) The board may acquire, construct, or otherwise make
2-4 provision for adequate physical facilities for use by Lamar State
2-5 College--[University at] Port Arthur and Lamar State
2-6 College--[University at] Orange and may accept and administer, on
2-7 terms and conditions satisfactory to the board, grants or gifts of
2-8 money or property tendered by any reason for the use and benefit of
2-9 the school.
2-10 (c) The board with approval of the Texas Higher Education
2-11 Coordinating Board may prescribe courses leading to customary
2-12 degrees. The board may make other rules and regulations for the
2-13 operation, control, and management of Lamar State
2-14 College--[University at] Port Arthur and Lamar State
2-15 College--[University at] Orange as are necessary for each
2-16 institution to be a first-class institution for freshman and
2-17 sophomore students.
2-18 (d) Nothing in this section shall be construed to limit the
2-19 powers of the board as conferred by law.
2-20 (e) For Lamar State College--[University at] Port Arthur and
2-21 Lamar State College--[University at] Orange, the board may expend
2-22 funds allocated to Lamar University under Chapter 62 for any of the
2-23 purposes listed in Section 17, Article VII, Texas Constitution, in
2-24 the same manner and under the same circumstances as expenditures
2-25 for those purposes for other separate degree-granting institutions.
2-26 SECTION 3. Sections 54.060(a), (e), and (g), Education Code,
2-27 are amended to read as follows:
3-1 (a) The nonresident tuition fee prescribed by this chapter
3-2 does not apply to a nonresident student who is a resident of
3-3 Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, or Oklahoma and who registers in a
3-4 public upper-level institution of higher education, Lamar State
3-5 College--Orange, Lamar State College--Port Arthur, Lamar Institute
3-6 of Technology, a [two-year institution in the Lamar University
3-7 System,] Texas public junior college, or a public technical
3-8 institute that is situated in a county immediately adjacent to the
3-9 state in which the nonresident student resides. The nonresident
3-10 tuition fee prescribed by this chapter does not apply to a
3-11 nonresident student who is a resident of New Mexico or Oklahoma and
3-12 who registers in a public technical institute that is situated in a
3-13 county that is within 100 miles of the state in which the
3-14 nonresident student resides and who is admitted for the purpose of
3-15 utilizing available instructional facilities. The nonresident
3-16 student described in this subsection shall pay an amount equivalent
3-17 to the amount charged a Texas student registered at a similar
3-18 school in the state in which the nonresident student resides. For
3-19 purposes of this subsection, "public upper-level institution of
3-20 higher education" means an institution of higher education that
3-21 offers only junior-level and senior-level courses or only
3-22 junior-level, senior-level, and graduate-level courses.
3-23 (e) The payment of resident tuition at Lamar State
3-24 College--Orange, Lamar State College--Port Arthur, Lamar Institute
3-25 of Technology, [a two-year institution in the Lamar University
3-26 System] or a public technical institute as authorized by Subsection
3-27 (a) of this section or at an institution of higher education as
4-1 authorized by Subsection (f) does not affect the constitutionally
4-2 dedicated funding to which institutions of higher education are
4-3 entitled under Article VII, Section 17, of the Texas Constitution.
4-4 (g) In this section, "public[:]
4-5 [(1) "Public] technical institute" has the meaning
4-6 assigned by Section 61.003 of this code.
4-7 [(2) "Two-year institution in the Lamar University
4-8 System" means:]
4-9 [(A) Lamar University at Orange;]
4-10 [(B) Lamar University at Port Arthur; or]
4-11 [(C) the Lamar University Institute of
4-12 Technology in Beaumont.]
4-13 SECTION 4. Section 55.1724(a), Education Code, is amended to
4-14 read as follows:
4-15 (a) In addition to the other authority granted by this
4-16 subchapter, the board of regents of the Texas State University
4-17 System may acquire, purchase, construct, improve, renovate,
4-18 enlarge, or equip property, buildings, structures, facilities,
4-19 roads, or related infrastructure for the following institutions to
4-20 be financed by the issuance of bonds in accordance with this
4-21 subchapter and in accordance with a systemwide revenue financing
4-22 program adopted by the board in aggregate principal amounts not to
4-23 exceed the following:
4-24 (1) Angelo State University, $20 million;
4-25 (2) Lamar University--Beaumont, $8 million;
4-26 (3) Lamar [University] Institute of Technology, $2
4-27 million;
5-1 (4) Lamar State College [University]--Orange, $3.5
5-2 million;
5-3 (5) Lamar State College [University]--Port Arthur,
5-4 $2.75 million;
5-5 (6) Sam Houston State University, $7.5 million;
5-6 (7) Southwest Texas State University, $19.7 million;
5-7 and
5-8 (8) Sul Ross State University, $17.5 million.
5-9 SECTION 5. Section 62.021(a), Education Code, is amended to
5-10 read as follows:
5-11 (a) Each fiscal year, an eligible institution is entitled to
5-12 receive an amount allocated in accordance with this section from
5-13 funds appropriated by Article VII, Section 17(a), of the
5-14 Constitution of Texas. The comptroller of public accounts shall
5-15 distribute funds allocated under this subsection only on
5-16 presentation of a claim and issuance of a warrant in accordance
5-17 with Section 403.071, Government Code. The comptroller may not
5-18 issue a warrant from any funds allocated under this subsection
5-19 before the delivery of goods or services described in Section 17,
5-20 Article VII, Texas Constitution, except for the payment of
5-21 principal or interest on bonds or notes. The allocation of funds
5-22 under this subsection is made in accordance with an equitable
5-23 formula consisting of the following elements: space deficit,
5-24 facilities condition, institutional complexity, separate
5-25 allocations for medical units and the Texas State Technical College
5-26 System, and an additional allocation for Texas Southern University
5-27 for compliance with the Texas Desegregation Plan. The amounts
6-1 allocated by the formula are as follows:
6-2 $ 5,572,558 Texas A&M University--Commerce and Texas A&M
6-3 University--Texarkana [East Texas State University
6-4 including East Texas State University at Texarkana];
6-5 $ 9,468,548 Lamar University including Lamar State
6-6 College--[University at] Orange and Lamar State
6-7 College--[University at] Port Arthur;
6-8 $ 2,862,203 Midwestern State University;
6-9 $20,217,740 University of North Texas;
6-10 $10,174,500 The University of Texas--Pan American and The
6-11 University of Texas at Brownsville;
6-12 $ 6,468,273 Stephen F. Austin State University;
6-13 $ 3,640,000 University of North Texas Health Science Center at
6-14 Fort Worth;
6-15 $23,181,556 Texas State University System Administration and the
6-16 following component institutions: Angelo State
6-17 University; Sam Houston State University; Southwest
6-18 Texas State University; Sul Ross State University
6-19 including Rio Grande College [Uvalde Center];
6-20 $ 8,199,288 Texas Southern University (includes allocation of
6-21 $1,000,000 for compliance with Texas Desegregation
6-22 Plan);
6-23 $16,887,085 Texas Tech University;
6-24 $ 7,735,000 Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center;
6-25 $ 6,849,160 Texas Woman's University;
6-26 $37,726,969 University of Houston System Administration and the
6-27 following component institutions: University of
7-1 Houston; University of Houston--Victoria; University
7-2 of Houston--Clear Lake; University of
7-3 Houston--Downtown;
7-4 $12,167,120 Texas A&M University--Corpus Christi; Texas A&M
7-5 International University; Texas A&M
7-6 University--Kingsville; West Texas A&M University;
7-7 and
7-8 $ 3,850,000 Texas State Technical College System Administration
7-9 and the following component campuses, but not its
7-10 extension centers or programs: Texas State Technical
7-11 College-Amarillo; Texas State Technical
7-12 College-Harlingen; Texas State Technical
7-13 College-Sweetwater; Texas State Technical
7-14 College--Waco.
7-15 SECTION 6. Section 54.060(h), Education Code, is repealed.
7-16 SECTION 7. The importance of this legislation and the
7-17 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
7-18 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
7-19 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
7-20 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,
7-21 and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its
7-22 passage, and it is so enacted.