LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
                              Austin, Texas
                                     
                    FISCAL NOTE, 77th Regular Session
  
                            February 26, 2001
  
  
          TO:  Honorable Irma Rangel, Chair, House Committee on Higher
               Education
  
        FROM:  John Keel, Director, Legislative Budget Board
  
       IN RE:  HB1685  by Rangel (Relating to a partnership or
               affiliation between certain entities and a general
               academic teaching institution or a medical and dental
               unit.), As Introduced
  
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*  No fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.                    *
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The bill allows governing boards of general academic institutions or
medical and dental units to establish a partnership or affiliation with
other entities to offer or conduct courses for academic credit or to
offer degree programs.  The union would be evaluated by the Higher
Education Coordinating Board and would have to be approved by the
legislature.

The legislation does not define whether the provisions of the bill would
include private higher education institutions or other entities outside
of the higher education area.  It is assumed that the legislature will
not approve unions of public higher education institutions with
non-public ones.
  
Local Government Impact
  
No fiscal implication to units of local government is anticipated.
  
  
Source Agencies:   781   Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board
LBB Staff:         JK, CT, KC