BILL ANALYSIS
Senate Research Center S.J.R. 22
AUTHOR'S/SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT
As proposed, S.J.R. 22 proposes a constitutional amendment to authorize a student member of the board of regents of a state university or university system to serve a term that is shorter in length than the other board members. Currently, the Texas Constitution requires that members of the university's board of regents serve a term of six years. Should the Texas Legislature pass a bill creating a student regent position, this resolution would allow a student member to serve a shorter term so that students would not be required to serve for six years. The traditional length of college study is only four to five years.
RULEMAKING AUTHORITY
SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS
SECTION 1. Amends Section 30a, Article XVI, Texas Constitution, as follows:
(a) Creates this subsection from existing text. Authorizes the legislature to provide by law that the governing boards of state institutions of higher education or state university systems, rather than the board of regents of the State University, and boards of trustees or managers of the other educational, eleemosynary, and penal institutions of the state, and such boards as have been, or may hereafter be established by law, to be composed of an odd number of three or more members who serve for a term of six (6) years, with one-third, or as near as one-third as possible, of the members of such boards to be elected or appointed every two (2) years in such manner as the legislature may determine; vacancies in such offices to be filled as may be provided by law.
(b) Creates this subsection from existing text.
(c) Authorizes the legislature, notwithstanding Subsections (a) and (b), to provide that a position on the governing board of a state institution of higher education or state university system that by law must be held by a student of the institution or system at the time of appointment may have a term that is shorter than the terms of the other members of the board.
SECTION 2. Requires this proposed constitutional amendment to be submitted to the voters at an election to be held November 8, 2005. Requires the ballot to be printed to provide for voting for or against the proposition: "The constitutional amendment authorizing a student member of the board of regents of a state institution of higher education or state university system to serve a shorter term than the six-year terms served by the other members of the board."