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 (f) A reference in state law to Lamar University at Port
2-27 Arthur means Lamar State College--Port Arthur. A reference in
3-1 state law to Lamar University at Orange means Lamar State
3-2 College--Orange.
3-3 SECTION 3. Sections 54.060(a), (e), and (g), Education Code,
3-4 are amended to read as follows:
3-5 (a) The nonresident tuition fee prescribed by this chapter
3-6 does not apply to a nonresident student who is a resident of
3-7 Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, or Oklahoma and who registers in a
3-8 public upper-level institution of higher education, Lamar State
3-9 College--Orange, Lamar State College--Port Arthur, a [two-year
3-10 institution in the Lamar University System,] Texas public junior
3-11 college, or a public technical institute that is situated in a
3-12 county immediately adjacent to the state in which the nonresident
3-13 student resides. The nonresident tuition fee prescribed by this
3-14 chapter does not apply to a nonresident student who is a resident
3-15 of New Mexico or Oklahoma and who registers in a public technical
3-16 institute that is situated in a county that is within 100 miles of
3-17 the state in which the nonresident student resides and who is
3-18 admitted for the purpose of utilizing available instructional
3-19 facilities. The nonresident student described in this subsection
3-20 shall pay an amount equivalent to the amount charged a Texas
3-21 student registered at a similar school in the state in which the
3-22 nonresident student resides. For purposes of this subsection,
3-23 "public upper-level institution of higher education" means an
3-24 institution of higher education that offers only junior-level and
3-25 senior-level courses or only junior-level, senior-level, and
3-26 graduate-level courses.
3-27 (e) The payment of resident tuition at Lamar State
4-1 College--Orange, Lamar State College--Port Arthur, [a two-year
4-2 institution in the Lamar University System] or a public technical
4-3 institute as authorized by Subsection (a) of this section or at an
4-4 institution of higher education as authorized by Subsection (f)
4-5 does not affect the constitutionally dedicated funding to which
4-6 institutions of higher education are entitled under Article VII,
4-7 Section 17, of the Texas Constitution.
4-8 (g) In this section, "public[:]
4-9 [(1) "Public] technical institute" has the meaning
4-10 assigned by Section 61.003 of this code.
4-11 [(2) "Two-year institution in the Lamar University
4-12 System" means:]
4-13 [(A) Lamar University at Orange;]
4-14 [(B) Lamar University at Port Arthur; or]
4-15 [(C) the Lamar University Institute of
4-16 Technology in Beaumont.]
4-17 SECTION 4. Section 55.1724(a), Education Code, is amended to
4-18 read as follows:
4-19 (a) In addition to the other authority granted by this
4-20 subchapter, the board of regents of the Texas State University
4-21 System may acquire, purchase, construct, improve, renovate,
4-22 enlarge, or equip property, buildings, structures, facilities,
4-23 roads, or related infrastructure for the following institutions to
4-24 be financed by the issuance of bonds in accordance with this
4-25 subchapter and in accordance with a systemwide revenue financing
4-26 program adopted by the board in aggregate principal amounts not to
4-27 exceed the following:
5-1 (1) Angelo State University, $20 million;
5-2 (2) Lamar University--Beaumont, $8 million;
5-3 (3) Lamar [University] Institute of Technology, $2
5-4 million;
5-5 (4) Lamar State College [University]--Orange, $3.5
5-6 million;
5-7 (5) Lamar State College [University]--Port Arthur,
5-8 $2.75 million;
5-9 (6) Sam Houston State University, $7.5 million;
5-10 (7) Southwest Texas State University, $19.7 million;
5-11 and
5-12 (8) Sul Ross State University, $17.5 million.
5-13 SECTION 5. Section 61.003, Education Code, is amended by
5-14 amending Subdivisions (3), (7), and (8) and by adding Subdivision
5-15 (16) to read as follows:
5-16 (3) "General academic teaching institution" means The
5-17 University of Texas at Austin; The University of Texas at El Paso;
5-18 The University of Texas of the Permian Basin; The University of
5-19 Texas at Dallas; The University of Texas at San Antonio; Texas A&M
5-20 University, Main University; The University of Texas at Arlington;
5-21 Tarleton State University; Prairie View A&M University; Texas
5-22 Maritime Academy; Texas Tech University; University of North Texas;
5-23 Lamar University; Lamar State College--Orange; Lamar State
5-24 College--Port Arthur; Texas A&M University--Kingsville; Texas A&M
5-25 University--Corpus Christi; Texas Woman's University; Texas
5-26 Southern University; Midwestern State University; University of
5-27 Houston; University of Texas--Pan American; The University of Texas
6-1 at Brownsville; Texas A&M University--Commerce; Sam Houston State
6-2 University; Southwest Texas State University; West Texas A&M
6-3 University; Stephen F. Austin State University; Sul Ross State
6-4 University; Angelo State University; The University of Texas at
6-5 Tyler; and any other college, university, or institution so
6-6 classified as provided in this chapter or created and so
6-7 classified, expressly or impliedly, by law.
6-8 (7) "Public technical institute" means the Lamar
6-9 Institute of Technology or the Texas State Technical College
6-10 System.
6-11 (8) "Institution of higher education" means any public
6-12 technical institute, public junior college, public senior college
6-13 or university, medical or dental unit, public state college, or
6-14 other agency of higher education as defined in this section.
6-15 (16) "Public state college" means Lamar State
6-16 College--Orange, Lamar State College--Port Arthur, or the Lamar
6-17 Institute of Technology.
6-18 SECTION 6. Section 54.060(h), Education Code, is repealed.
6-19 SECTION 7. The importance of this legislation and the
6-20 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
6-21 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
6-22 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
6-23 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,
6-24 and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its
6-25 passage, and it is so enacted.
_______________________________ _______________________________
President of the Senate Speaker of the House
I certify that H.B. No. 1297 was passed by the House on April
8, 1999, by the following vote: Yeas 144, Nays 0, 2 present, not
voting; and that the House concurred in Senate amendments to H.B.
No. 1297 on May 19, 1999, by the following vote: Yeas 146, Nays 0,
1 present, not voting.
_______________________________
Chief Clerk of the House
I certify that H.B. No. 1297 was passed by the Senate, with
amendments, on May 17, 1999, by the following vote: Yeas 30, Nays
0.
_______________________________
Secretary of the Senate
APPROVED: _____________________
Date
_____________________
Governor