BILL ANALYSIS
Senate Research Center S.J.R. 12
AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT
Currently, there is no direct student input at the board of regents level of Texas institutions of higher education.
As proposed, S.J.R. 12 proposes a constitutional amendment that would authorize a student to serve as a member of a state institution of higher education or state university system's board of regents. The joint resolution also proposes defining the student's term to be shorter than the six-year term served by the other members of the board.
RULEMAKING AUTHORITY
This bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, institution, or agency.
SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS
SECTION 1. Amends Section 30a, Article XVI, Texas Constitution, as follows:
Sec. 30a. (a) Creates this subsection from existing text. Authorizes the Legislature to provide by law that the governing boards of state institutions of higher education or state university systems, rather than the Board of Regents of the State University, and boards of trustees of managers of the other educational, eleemosynary, and penal institutions of the State, and such boards as have been, or may thereafter be established by law, may be composed of an odd number of three or more members who serve for a term of six (6) years, with one-third, or as near as one-third as possible, of the members of such boards to be elected or appointed every two (2) years in such manner as the Legislature may determine; vacancies in such offices to be filled as may be provided by law, and the Legislature shall enact suitable laws to give effect to this section.
(b) Creates this subsection from existing text.
(c) Authorizes the Legislature, notwithstanding Subsections (a) and (b), to provide that a position on the governing board of a state institution of higher education or state university system that by law must be held by a student of the institution or system at the time of appointment may have a term that is shorter than the terms of the other members of the board.
SECTION 2. Requires the proposed constitutional amendment to be submitted to the voters at an election to be held November 3, 2009. Sets forth the required language of the ballot.