BILL ANALYSIS
Senate Research Center S.B. 1377
AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT
In October 2000, the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) adopted Closing the Gaps, a master plan that outlines the goals of closing the gaps in higher education (plan), with strong support of the state's educational, business, and political communities. The four goals outlined in the master plan are to close the gaps in student participation, student success, excellence, and research. The goals were applicable within Texas, but also in comparison with other states.
The plan includes strategies for accomplishing the four goals and establishes an annual performance measuring system. However, the plan does not provide a finance plan that provides the amount of funding beyond what is required to adequately fund public higher education needed to meet the goals set out in Closing the Gaps.
As proposed, S.B. 1377 requires THECB to study and determine the additional amount of public higher education funding necessary to meet the goals set out in Closing the Gaps. The bill requires the report to be submitted to the chair of each legislative standing committee and subcommittee with primary jurisdiction over higher education or state appropriations.
RULEMAKING AUTHORITY
This bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to any state officer, institution, or agency.
SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS
SECTION 1. Amends Subchapter C, Chapter 61, Education Code, by adding Section 61.0593, as follows:
Sec. 61.0593. DETERMINATIONS REGARDING REQUIRED FUNDING FOR IMPLEMENTATION OF "CLOSING THE GAPS." (a) Requires the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB), in each even-numbered year during the period covered by the state master plan for higher education "Closing the Gaps," as then revised, to study and determine the additional amount of money needed for the next state fiscal biennium from each of the sources described by Subsection (b) that, in combination with the amount of money that would otherwise be required to adequately fund public higher education in this state, would provide sufficient funding to accomplish in a timely manner certain purposes in that biennium in relation to the goals of the master plan.
(b) Requires THECB, for the purposes of Subsection (a), to determine the amount of money that would be required to be contributed during the next state fiscal biennium from certain sources.
(c) Requires THECB, in each even-numbered year during the period covered by the state master plan for higher education "Closing the Gaps," to submit to the chair of each legislative standing committee or subcommittee with primary jurisdiction over higher education or state appropriations a report stating the determinations made under this section for the next state fiscal biennium.
SECTION 2. Effective date: upon passage or September 1, 2007.