By: West, Van de Putte S.B. No. 1007

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 May 31, 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.