BILL ANALYSIS
Senate Research Center C.S.S.B. 676
79R12031 KEL-D By: West, Royce
Committee Report (Substituted)
AUTHOR'S/SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT
During the 78th Interim, the Senate Subcommittee on Higher Education was charged with studying and making recommendations evaluating the cost of increasing the number of Tier 1 universities in Texas. To evaluate the cost of increasing the number of Tier 1 universities, the state must first develop a definition of a Tier 1 university.
C.S.S.B. 676 requires the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (board) to establish a system for designating a general academic teaching institution as a university of the first class, and provides criteria to be considered by the board.
RULEMAKING AUTHORITY
SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS
SECTION 1. Sets forth the purpose of this Act.
SECTION 2. Amends Subchapter C, Chapter 61, Education Code, by adding Section 61.0818, as follows:
Sec. 61.0818. IDENTIFYING INSTITUTIONS AS COMPREHENSIVE RESEARCH UNIVERSITIES OF THE FIRST CLASS. (a) Requires the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (board) to establish a system for designating a general academic teaching institution as a university of the first class and to prescribe criteria to determine whether a general academic teaching institution should be assigned that designation. Requires the board to determine which general academic teaching institutions merit the designation and to periodically review that determination.
(b) Requires, in prescribing criteria for purposes of Subsection (a), the board to consider the criteria used by generally recognized college and university classification systems to identify those universities in the highest classification or ranking. Requires the board to specifically consider whether to prescribe criteria based on certain factors.
(c) Requires, in prescribing the criteria for the purposes of Subsection (a), the board to include any criteria the commissioner of higher education considers appropriate to achieve the purposes of this section.
(d) Requires the board to administer this section with the assistance of an advisory committee. Sets forth guidelines for the composition of the committee.
(e) Requires the board, not later than October 1, 2006, to establish the initial criteria and make its initial determinations under this section and to report the board's actions to each legislative standing committee and subcommittee with primary jurisdiction over higher education. Provides that this subsection expires January 1, 2007.
SECTION 3. Effective date: upon passage or September 1, 2005.