HBA-LJP C.S.H.B. 1799 77(R)    BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisC.S.H.B. 1799
By: Villarreal, Mike
Higher Education
4/4/2001
Committee Report (Substituted)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

Currently, there is no single cohesive long-range statewide plan that
addresses the higher education needs of each region of the state of Texas.
The study of the variance of services, resources, and demographics
throughout the state might help to provide higher education services that
meet each region's needs. C.S.H.B. 1799 requires the Texas Higher Education
Coordinating Board to complete a periodic comprehensive statewide plan that
provides information and guidance to policymakers to ensure the current and
future needs for adequate higher education services are met in each region
of this state. 

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. 

ANALYSIS

C.S.H.B. 1799 amends the Education Code to require the Texas Higher
Education Coordinating Board (board) to develop and periodically revise a
long-range statewide plan to provide information and guidance to
policymakers to ensure that institutions of higher education at all levels
meet the current and future needs of each region of this state for adequate
higher education services that are reasonably and equally available to the
residents of each region of this state. 

The bill requires the board in developing the plan to examine existing
undergraduate, graduate, professional, and research programs provided by
institutions of higher education.  The board is required to identify
geographic regions in this state that have or are likely to have in the
future a significantly greater need for higher education services than
currently provided in the area.  The board is required to consider the
higher education services provided by private and independent institutions
in developing the plan and to identify the programs or fields of study for
which an area has or is projected to have a shortage of higher education
services.  The board is also required to consider the current educational
attainment and rate of attendance at institutions of higher education of an
area's population in determining the area's need for additional higher
education services. 

The board is required to include in the plan specific recommendations for
administrative or legislative action to address an area's unmet need for
higher education services.  The bill also requires the board to deliver to
the governor, lieutenant governor, and legislature a report of the current
long-range plan no later than November 1 of each even-numbered year. 

EFFECTIVE DATE

On passage, or if the Act does not receive the necessary vote, the Act
takes effect September 1, 2001. 

COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL TO SUBSTITUTE

C.S.H.B. 1799 differs from the original by requiring the Texas Higher
Education Coordinating Board to consider the higher education services
provided by private and independent institutions in developing the
long-range statewide plan.