79R13688 KSD-D
By: Rose, Naishtat H.B. No. 1968
Substitute the following for H.B. No. 1968:
By: Rose C.S.H.B. No. 1968
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to student representation on the board of regents of each
state university or state university system.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Subchapter G, Chapter 51, Education Code, is
amended by adding Sections 51.355 and 51.356 to read as follows:
Sec. 51.355. NONVOTING STUDENT REGENT; UNIVERSITY SYSTEM
BOARD OF REGENTS. (a) In this section, "student government" means
the representative student organization directly elected by the
student body of a general academic teaching institution.
(b) The chancellor of each university system shall develop a
uniform application form to be used by each general academic
teaching institution in the university system to solicit applicants
for the position of student regent.
(c) Except as provided by Subsection (f), not later than
September 1 of each year, the student government of each general
academic teaching institution in a university system shall solicit
applicants for the position of student regent. Not later than
November 1, from among the applications received by the student
government, the student government shall select five applicants as
the student government's recommendations for the position of
student regent and send the applications of those applicants, with
the name of each applicant and the name of the institution in which
the applicant is enrolled removed, to the chancellor of the
university system. From among those applicants, the chancellor
shall select two or more applicants as the university system's
recommendations for the position of student regent and shall send
the applications of those applicants to the governor not later than
December 1. The governor may request to review all applications for
the position of student regent received by the student governments
and may request to review information required to be removed from an
application by a student government under this subsection. On
February 1, or as soon thereafter as practicable, the governor,
with the advice and consent of the senate, shall appoint one of the
applicants to serve as the student regent for the system for a
one-year term expiring on the next February 1. The governor is not
required to appoint an applicant recommended by the chancellor.
(d) A student regent must be enrolled as an undergraduate or
graduate student in a general academic teaching institution in the
university system at the time of appointment and throughout the
student regent's term. For purposes of this subsection, a person is
considered to be enrolled in an institution for a summer term if the
person was enrolled in the institution for the preceding semester
and:
(1) is registered or preregistered at the institution
for the following fall semester;
(2) if the person has not completed the person's degree
program, is eligible to continue the degree program at the
institution in the following fall semester; or
(3) if the person completed a degree program in the
preceding semester, is admitted to another degree program at the
institution for the following fall semester.
(e) A student regent is an officer of this state, but is not
a member of the board of regents of the system for which the student
regent is appointed. A student regent has the same powers and
duties as the members of the board of regents of the system,
including the right to attend and participate in meetings of the
board of regents, except that the student regent:
(1) may not vote on any matter before the board or make
or second any motion before the board; and
(2) is not counted in determining whether a quorum
exists for a meeting of the board or in determining the outcome of
any vote of the board.
(f) The student government of the general academic teaching
institution at which a current student regent was enrolled at the
time of the student regent's appointment may not solicit applicants
for the position of student regent for the next regular term of the
position.
(g) A vacancy in the position of student regent for a
university system shall be filled for the unexpired term by
appointment by the governor in consultation with the chancellor of
the system and with the advice and consent of the senate.
Sec. 51.356. NONVOTING STUDENT REGENT; INSTITUTION BOARD OF
REGENTS. (a) This section applies only to a general academic
teaching institution that is not a part of a university system.
(b) In this section, "student government" means the
representative student organization directly elected by the
student body of a general academic teaching institution.
(c) The president of a general academic teaching
institution shall develop a uniform application form to be used to
solicit applicants for the position of student regent.
(d) Not later than September 1 of each year, the student
government of the general academic teaching institution shall
solicit applicants for the position of student regent. Not later
than November 1, from among the applications received by the
student government, the student government shall select five
applicants as the student government's recommendations for the
position of student regent and send the applications of those
applicants, with the name of each applicant removed, to the
president of the institution. From among those applicants, the
president shall select two or more applicants as the institution's
recommendations for the position of student regent and shall send
the applications of those applicants to the governor not later than
December 1. The governor may request to review all applications for
the position of student regent received by the student government
and may request to review information required to be removed from an
application by the student government under this subsection. On
February 1, or as soon thereafter as practicable, the governor,
with the advice and consent of the senate, shall appoint one of the
applicants to serve as the student regent for the institution for a
one-year term expiring on the next February 1. The governor is not
required to appoint an applicant recommended by the president.
(e) A student regent must be enrolled as an undergraduate or
graduate student in the general academic teaching institution at
the time of appointment and throughout the student regent's term.
For purposes of this subsection, a person is considered to be
enrolled in an institution for a summer term if the person was
enrolled in the institution for the preceding semester and:
(1) is registered or preregistered at the institution
for the following fall semester;
(2) if the person has not completed the person's degree
program, is eligible to continue the degree program at the
institution in the following fall semester; or
(3) if the person completed a degree program in the
preceding semester, is admitted to another degree program at the
institution for the following fall semester.
(f) A student regent is an officer of this state, but is not
a member of the board of regents of the institution for which the
student regent is appointed. A student regent has the same powers
and duties as the members of the board of regents of the
institution, including the right to attend and participate in
meetings of the board of regents, except that the student regent:
(1) may not vote on any matter before the board or make
or second any motion before the board; and
(2) is not counted in determining whether a quorum
exists for a meeting of the board or in determining the outcome of
any vote of the board.
(g) A vacancy in the position of student regent for an
institution shall be filled for the unexpired term by appointment
by the governor in consultation with the president of the
institution and with the advice and consent of the senate.
SECTION 2. The initial term of a student regent appointed
for a state university system under Section 51.355, Education Code,
as added by this Act, or for a state university under Section
51.356, Education Code, as added by this Act, expires February 1,
2007. The appropriate student governments, the chancellor of each
state university system, the president of each state university
that is not a part of a university system, and the governor shall
take the actions required by Sections 51.355 and 51.356, Education
Code, as added by this Act, as soon as practicable after this Act
takes effect to select a student regent for each state university or
state university system for that initial term.
SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2005.