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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to student representation on the Texas Higher Education |
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Coordinating Board and certain coordinating board advisory |
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committees. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Subchapter B, Chapter 61, Education Code, is |
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amended by adding Section 61.0225 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 61.0225. NONVOTING STUDENT REPRESENTATIVE. (a) In |
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this section: |
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(1) "Board" means the Texas Higher Education |
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Coordinating Board or its successor agency. |
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(2) "Student government" means the representative |
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student organization directly elected by the student body of an |
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institution of higher education. |
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(b) The president of each institution of higher education |
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shall develop a uniform application form to be used by the |
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institution to solicit applicants for the position of student |
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representative to the board. |
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(c) Except as provided by Subsection (g), not later than |
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September 1 of each year, the student government of each |
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institution of higher education shall solicit applicants for |
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appointment to the next regular term of the position of student |
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representative. Not later than November 1, from among the |
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applications received by the student government, the student |
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government shall select five applicants as the student government's |
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recommendations for the position of student representative and send |
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the applications of those applicants, with the name of each |
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applicant removed, to the president of the institution. From among |
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those applicants, the president shall select two or more applicants |
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as the institution's recommendations for the position of student |
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representative and shall send the applications of those applicants, |
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with the name of the institution in which the applicants are |
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enrolled removed, to the governor not later than December 1. The |
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governor may request to review all applications for the position of |
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student representative received by the student governments and may |
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request to review information required to be removed from an |
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application by a student government or the president of an |
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institution under this subsection. On February 1, or as soon |
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thereafter as practicable, the governor, with the advice and |
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consent of the senate, shall appoint one of the applicants to serve |
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as the student representative for the board for a one-year term |
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expiring on the next February 1. The governor is not required to |
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appoint an applicant recommended by the president of an institution |
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of higher education. |
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(d) A student representative must be enrolled as an |
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undergraduate or graduate student in an institution of higher |
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education at the time of appointment and throughout the student |
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representative's term. For purposes of this subsection, a person |
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is considered to be enrolled in an institution for a summer term if |
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the person was enrolled in the institution for the preceding |
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semester and: |
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(1) is registered or preregistered at the institution |
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for the following fall semester; |
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(2) if the person has not completed the person's degree |
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program, is eligible to continue the degree program at the |
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institution in the following fall semester; or |
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(3) if the person completed a degree program in the |
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preceding semester, is admitted to another degree program at the |
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institution for the following fall semester. |
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(e) A student representative has the same powers and duties |
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as the members of the board, including the right to attend and |
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participate in meetings of the board, except that the student |
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representative: |
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(1) may not vote on any matter before the board or make |
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or second any motion before the board; and |
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(2) is not counted in determining whether a quorum |
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exists for a meeting of the board or in determining the outcome of |
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any vote of the board. |
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(f) A student representative serves without compensation |
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but is entitled to be reimbursed for the actual expenses incurred by |
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the student representative in attending the meetings of the board, |
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subject to the approval of the chairman of the board. |
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(g) The student government of the institution of higher |
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education at which a current student representative was enrolled at |
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the time of the student representative's appointment may not |
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solicit applicants for the position of student representative for |
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the next regular term of the position. |
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(h) A vacancy in the position of student representative |
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shall be filled for the unexpired term by appointment by the |
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governor with the advice and consent of the senate. |
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SECTION 2. Subchapter C, Chapter 61, Education Code, is |
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amended by adding Section 61.071 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 61.071. STUDENT REPRESENTATIVES ON CERTAIN BOARD |
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ADVISORY COMMITTEES. (a) In this section: |
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(1) "Board" means the Texas Higher Education |
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Coordinating Board or its successor agency. |
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(2) "Student government" means the representative |
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student organization directly elected by the student body of an |
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institution of higher education. |
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(b) The president of an institution of higher education may |
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solicit applicants for student representatives for the board |
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advisory committee for: |
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(1) common application, established under Section |
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51.762; |
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(2) core curriculum, established under Section |
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61.822; |
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(3) distance education, established under Section |
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61.0771; |
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(4) financial aid, established under Section 61.0776; |
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(5) graduate education; |
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(6) undergraduate education; and |
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(7) transfer issues. |
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(c) Not later than September 1 of each year, the student |
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government of the institution shall review any applications |
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received for appointment to the next regular term of the position of |
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student representative for one or more of the advisory committees |
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described by Subsection (b). Not later than November 1, from among |
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the applications received by the student government for the |
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committee positions, the student government may select no more than |
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five applicants as the student government's recommendations for the |
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position of student representative for one or more of the committee |
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positions and send the applications of those applicants, with the |
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name of each applicant removed, to the president of the |
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institution. From among those applicants, the president may select |
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two or more applicants as the institution's recommendations for the |
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position of student representative for one or more of the committee |
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positions and shall send the applications of those applicants, if |
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any, with the name of the institution in which the applicants are |
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enrolled removed, to the board not later than December 1. The board |
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may request to review all applications for the position of student |
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representative received by the student government and may request |
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to review information required to be removed from an application by |
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the student government or the president of an institution under |
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this subsection. On February 1, or as soon thereafter as |
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practicable, the board shall appoint to each advisory committee one |
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of the applicants to serve as the student representative on the |
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committee for a one-year term expiring on the next February 1. The |
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board is not required to appoint an applicant recommended by the |
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president of an institution of higher education as the student |
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representative on an advisory committee. |
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(d) A student representative must be enrolled as an |
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undergraduate or graduate student in an institution of higher |
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education at the time of appointment and throughout the student |
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representative's term. For purposes of this subsection, a person |
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is considered to be enrolled in an institution for a summer term if |
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the person was enrolled in the institution for the preceding |
|
semester and: |
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(1) is registered or preregistered at the institution |
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for the following fall semester; |
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(2) if the person has not completed the person's degree |
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program, is eligible to continue the degree program at the |
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institution in the following fall semester; or |
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(3) if the person completed a degree program in the |
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preceding semester, is admitted to another degree program at the |
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institution for the following fall semester. |
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(e) A student representative on an advisory committee has |
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the same powers and duties as the members of the advisory committee, |
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including the right to attend and participate in meetings of the |
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committee, except that the student representative: |
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(1) may not vote on any matter before the committee or |
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make or second any motion before the committee; and |
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(2) is not counted in determining whether a quorum |
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exists for a meeting of the committee or in determining the outcome |
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of any vote of the committee. |
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(f) A student representative serves without compensation |
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but is entitled to be reimbursed for the actual expenses incurred by |
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the student representative in attending the meetings of the |
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advisory committee, subject to the approval of the chairman of the |
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board. |
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(g) A vacancy in the position of student representative on |
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an advisory committee shall be filled for the unexpired term by |
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appointment by the board. |
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SECTION 3. The initial term of a student representative |
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appointed to the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board under |
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Section 61.0225, Education Code, as added by this Act, or for a |
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coordinating board advisory committee under Section 61.071, |
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Education Code, as added by this Act, expires February 1, 2009. The |
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appropriate student governments, the president of each institution |
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of higher education, the coordinating board, and the governor shall |
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take the actions required by Sections 61.0225 and 61.071, Education |
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Code, as added by this Act, as soon as practicable after this Act |
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takes effect to select a student representative for the |
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coordinating board and each of the advisory committees for that |
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initial term. |
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SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2007. |