BILL ANALYSIS
Senate Research Center S.B. 1034
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
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.