BILL ANALYSIS

 

 

                                                                                                                                           H.B. 3464

                                                                                                                                          By: Guillen

                                                                                                                                Higher Education

                                                                                                       Committee Report (Unamended)

 

 

 

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

 

HB 3464 will authorize the head of the Department of Statistics at Texas A&M University, in consultation with the dean of the College of Science at the university, to establish the office of state statistician and designate a faculty or staff member as the state statistician. The office will be available to conduct analysis and research for public and private entities.

 

The Department of Statistics at Texas A&M University was founded in 1962; as such, Texas A&M is the only public institution in Texas with a separate department in statistics that grants a PhD in both applied and theoretical statistics.  The department is the third largest statistics department in the US, based on number of faculty.

 

The Texas A&M statistics department has consistently provided services to a number of state agencies, including TECQ, Parks and Wildlife, Water Development Board,  The General Land Office, the Office of the Attorney General, and TxDOT.

 

 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

 

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution. 

 

ANALYSIS

 

SECTION 1:  Chapter 88 of the Education Code is amended by adding Subchapter K relating to the office of state statistician.  The head of the Department of Statistics at Texas A&M University, in consultation with the dean of the College of Science, shall establish the office of state statistician within the department and shall designate a member of the faculty or staff of the department as the state statistician.

 

In addition to the duties assigned by the Department of Statistics or the university to the office of state statistician, the office may conduct statistical analysis and research on request for public and private entities.  The office may charge and collect fees for services provided to any person in amounts sufficient to recover the costs of providing those services or provide services under a contract that provides for a recovery of those costs.

 

SECTION 2:  Effective date.

 

EFFECTIVE DATE

 

Upon passage, or, if the Act does not receive the necessary vote, the Act takes effect September 1, 2007.