BILL ANALYSIS

 

 

Senate Research Center                                                                                                      S.B. 1034

79R8662 KSD-D                                                                                                     By: West, Royce

                                                                                                                    S/C on Higher Education

                                                                                                                                              4/9/2005

                                                                                                                                              As Filed

 

 

AUTHOR'S/SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT

 

In 2001, Texas created a partnership between private companies and institutions of higher education to match funds for certain purposes, including: directing grants to eligible colleges and universities to fund programs to increase the number of electrical engineering and computer science graduates; coordinating public and private resources for technical research and degree programs; serving as a resource for technology businesses that want to better leverage human resource expenditures and corporate contributions; and increasing collaborative efforts between related academic programs and the private sector.    

The effectiveness of the grant program is evaluated by an advisory committee appointed by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, which meets approximately once each year during the grant cycle. The use of the term "advisory committee" in the original legislation had the effect of making that committee subject to Chapter 2110 (State Agency Advisory Committees), Government Code, which prohibits the reimbursement of advisory committee travel expenses in most situations.           

As proposed, S.B. 1034 permits the state to match qualifying grants that go directly to a state institution of higher education.  S.B. 1034 also changes the term grant program advisory committee to grant program evaluation committee and specifies that the committee is not subject to Chapter 2110, Government Code.    

 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

 

This bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, institution, or agency.

 

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

 

SECTION 1.  Amends Section 51.856(b), Education Code, to prohibit for a state fiscal biennium, the amount appropriated from the undedicated portion of the general revenue fund under Subsection (a) (Appropriations; State Matching Program), from being less than a certain sum.   

 

SECTION 2.  Amends Sections 51.860(a) and (c), Education Code, to require the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, to evaluate the effectiveness of the grant program under this subchapter, to appoint an evaluation committee, rather than an advisory committee, consisting of higher education representatives and experts in the fields of engineering and computer science.  Provides that the grant program evaluation committee is not subject to Chapter 2110 (State Agency Advisory Committees), Government Code. 

 

SECTION 3.  (a) Makes application of Section 51.856(b), Education Code, as amended by this Act, prospective.

 

            (b) Provides that on the effective date of this Act, members of grant advisory committee become members of the grant evaluation committee. 

 

SECTION 4.  Effective date: September 1, 2005.