BILL ANALYSIS
Senate Research Center S.J.R. 26
79R3885 KSD-D By: Wentworth et al.
AUTHOR'S/SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT
Currently, the Texas Constitution contains two competing provisions that define terms of office for a university system's board of regents. The members of the board of regents currently serve for a term of six years, with one-third, or as near to one-third as possible, of the members of such a board being elected or appointed every two years as determined by the legislature. Legislation has been proposed to place a student on each board of regents of a state university or state institution of higher education for a term of less than six years.
As proposed, S.J.R. 26 authorizes a student member to serve a term that differs from the terms served by the other members of the board of regents of a state institution of higher education or state university system.
RULEMAKING AUTHORITY
SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS
SECTION 1. Amends Section 30a, Article XVI, Texas Constitution, as follows:
Sec. 30a. (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 and board of trustees or managers of the other educational, eleemosynary, and penal institutions of the state, may be composed of an odd number of members.
(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 the proposed constitutional amendment to be submitted to the voters at an election to be held on November 8, 2005. Requires the ballot to be printed to permit voting for or against the specific proposition.