By: Giddings (Senate Sponsor - West) H.B. No. 2225
         (In the Senate - Received from the House May 10, 2007;
  May 14, 2007, read first time and referred to Subcommittee on
  Higher Education; May 18, 2007, reported favorably from Committee
  on Education by the following vote:  Yeas 8, Nays 0; May 18, 2007,
  sent to printer.)
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
 
  relating to student representation on the Texas Higher Education
  Coordinating Board and certain coordinating board advisory
  committees.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Subchapter B, Chapter 61, Education Code, is
  amended by adding Section 61.0225 to read as follows:
         Sec. 61.0225.  NONVOTING STUDENT REPRESENTATIVE.  (a) In
  this section:
               (1)  "Board" means the Texas Higher Education
  Coordinating Board or its successor agency.
               (2)  "Student government" means the representative
  student organization directly elected by the student body of an
  institution of higher education.
         (b)  A student representative shall be appointed to the
  board.  The student representative is not a state officer.  Except
  as otherwise provided by this section, the appointment of a student
  representative to the board shall be made in the same manner as a
  student regent is appointed under Section 51.355(c).  The student
  representative to the board serves a term that is the same as the
  term of a student regent appointed under Section 51.355.
         (c)  The board shall develop a uniform application form to be
  used by each institution of higher education to solicit applicants
  for the position of student representative to the board.
         (d)  For an institution of higher education that is not part
  of a university system, the president of the institution, from
  among the applicants selected as the student government's
  recommendations for the position of student representative to the
  board, shall select two or more applicants as the institution's
  recommendations for the position and send the applications of those
  applicants to the governor in accordance with the deadline
  established under Section 51.355(c) for a chancellor to send
  applications to the governor for a student regent.
         (e)  A student representative to the board must meet the
  minimum requirements prescribed by Section 51.355(d) for a student
  regent, as those requirements apply to an institution of higher
  education.
         (f)  The student representative has the same powers and
  duties as the members of the board, including the right to attend
  and participate in meetings of the board, except that the student
  representative:
               (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)  The student representative serves without pay but shall
  be reimbursed for the actual expenses incurred by the student
  representative in attending the meetings of the board or in
  attending to other work of the board when that work is approved by
  the chairman of the board.
         (h)  The student government of the institution of higher
  education at which a current student representative was enrolled at
  the time of the student representative's appointment may not
  solicit applicants for the position of student representative for
  the next regular term of the position.
         (i)  A vacancy in the position of student representative
  shall be filled for the unexpired term by appointment by the
  governor.
         SECTION 2.  Subchapter C, Chapter 61, Education Code, is
  amended by adding Section 61.071 to read as follows:
         Sec. 61.071.  STUDENT REPRESENTATIVES ON CERTAIN BOARD
  ADVISORY COMMITTEES.  (a)  In this section:
               (1)  "Board" means the Texas Higher Education
  Coordinating Board or its successor agency.
               (2)  "Student government" means the representative
  student organization directly elected by the student body of an
  institution of higher education.
         (b)  Not later than August 1 of each year, the board shall
  provide the following to each institution of higher education:
               (1)  a list of available positions for student
  representatives on board advisory committees, the effective terms
  of those positions, and the duties and requirements for each
  position;
               (2)  a maximum number of nominees determined by the
  board allowed to be submitted by each institution for each
  position; and
               (3)  an application form for appointment to an advisory
  committee.
         (c)  Not later than September 1 of each year, the president
  of each institution of higher education shall establish a
  nomination process for the available positions for student
  representatives on board advisory committees and shall solicit
  student applications from which the president may select a number
  of applicants for those positions, not to exceed the maximum number
  designated by the board for each position.
         (d)  Not later than December 1, the president shall forward
  the applications of the nominees selected by the president to the
  board for consideration. Not later than February 1, the board shall
  appoint a total of not less than four student representatives to
  designated advisory committees of the board, including the Common
  Application Advisory Committee, the Distance Education Advisory
  Committee, the Financial Aid Advisory Committee, the Undergraduate
  Education Advisory Committee, the Transfer Issues Advisory
  Committee, or any other advisory committee created to address the
  needs of higher education, including committees addressing
  financial aid, student services, and undergraduate education
  needs.
         (e)  A student representative on an advisory committee must
  meet minimum requirements prescribed by Section 51.355(d) for a
  nonvoting student regent, as those requirements apply to an
  institution of higher education.
         (f)  A student representative on an advisory committee has
  the same powers and duties as the members of the advisory committee,
  including the right to attend and participate in meetings of the
  committee, except that the student representative:
               (1)  may not vote on any matter before the committee or
  make or second any motion before the committee; and
               (2)  is not counted in determining whether a quorum
  exists for a meeting of the committee or in determining the outcome
  of any vote of the committee.
         (g)  A student representative on an advisory committee
  serves without pay.
         (h)  A vacancy in the position of student representative on
  an advisory committee shall be filled for the unexpired term by
  appointment by the board.
         SECTION 3.  The initial term of a student representative
  appointed to the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board under
  Section 61.0225, Education Code, as added by this Act, or for a
  coordinating board advisory committee under Section 61.071,
  Education Code, as added by this Act, expires February 1, 2009.  The
  appropriate student governments, the president of each institution
  of higher education, the coordinating board, and the governor shall
  take the actions required by Sections 61.0225 and 61.071, Education
  Code, as added by this Act, as soon as practicable after this Act
  takes effect to select the initial student representative to the
  coordinating board and the initial student representatives on
  advisory committees of the coordinating board.
         SECTION 4.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2007.
 
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