81R27350 KSD-F
 
  By: Pierson, Rios Ybarra H.B. No. 330
 
  Substitute the following for H.B. No. 330:
 
  By:  Branch C.S.H.B. No. 330
 
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
  relating to the appointment of a nonvoting faculty regent to the
  board of regents of each state university or state university
  system.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Subchapter G, Chapter 51, Education Code, is
  amended by adding Sections 51.358 and 51.359 to read as follows:
         Sec. 51.358.  NONVOTING FACULTY REGENT; UNIVERSITY SYSTEM
  BOARD OF REGENTS.  (a)  In this section, "faculty senate" means the
  representative faculty organization directly elected by the
  general faculty of a general academic teaching institution or
  medical and dental unit.
         (b)  The chancellor of each university system shall develop a
  uniform application form to be used by each general academic
  teaching institution and medical and dental unit in the university
  system to solicit applicants for the position of faculty regent.
         (c)  Except as provided by Subsection (f), not later than
  November 1 of each year, the faculty senate of each general academic
  teaching institution and medical and dental unit in a university
  system shall solicit applicants from the faculty of the institution
  or unit for appointment to the next regular term of the position of
  faculty regent.  Not later than January 1, from among the
  applications received by the faculty senate, the faculty senate
  shall select five applicants as the faculty senate's
  recommendations for the position of faculty regent and send the
  applications of those applicants to the chancellor of the
  university system.  From among those applicants, the chancellor
  shall select two or more applicants as the university system's
  recommendations for the position of faculty regent and shall send
  the applications of those applicants to the governor not later than
  February 1.  The governor may request to review all applications
  for the position of faculty regent received by any of the faculty
  senates and may request an applicant to submit additional
  information to the governor.  On June 1, or as soon thereafter as
  practicable, the governor shall appoint one of the applicants to
  serve as the faculty regent for the system for a one-year term
  expiring on the next May 31.  The governor is not required to
  appoint an applicant recommended by the chancellor.
         (d)  To be eligible for appointment as faculty regent, a
  person must be a tenured faculty member of a general academic
  teaching institution or medical and dental unit in the university
  system and be in good standing as determined by the institution at
  the time of appointment.  The person must remain employed as a
  faculty member of the institution throughout the person's term as a
  faculty regent.
         (e)  A faculty regent is not a member of the board of regents
  of the system for which the faculty regent is appointed.  A faculty
  regent has the same powers and duties as the members of the board of
  regents of the system, including the right to attend and
  participate in meetings of the board of regents, except that the
  faculty regent:
               (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.
         (f)  The faculty senate of the general academic teaching
  institution or medical and dental unit at which a current faculty
  regent was employed at the time of the faculty regent's appointment
  as faculty regent may not solicit applicants for the position of
  faculty regent for the next regular term of the position.
         (g)  A vacancy in the position of faculty regent for a
  university system shall be filled for the unexpired term by
  appointment by the governor in consultation with the chancellor of
  the system.
         (h)  A faculty regent serves without compensation but is
  entitled to be reimbursed for the actual expenses incurred by the
  faculty regent in attending the meetings of the board of regents,
  subject to the approval of the chairman of the board of regents.
         Sec. 51.359.  NONVOTING FACULTY REGENT; INSTITUTION BOARD OF
  REGENTS.  (a)  This section applies only to a general academic
  teaching institution that is not a part of a university system.
         (b)  In this section, "faculty senate" means the
  representative faculty organization directly elected by the
  general faculty of a general academic teaching institution.
         (c)  The president of a general academic teaching
  institution shall develop a uniform application form to be used to
  solicit applicants for the position of faculty regent.
         (d)  Not later than November 1 of each year, the faculty
  senate of the general academic teaching institution shall solicit
  applicants from the faculty of the institution for appointment to
  the next regular term of the position of faculty regent.  Not later
  than January 1, from among the applications received by the faculty
  senate, the faculty senate shall select five applicants as the
  faculty senate's recommendations for the position of faculty regent
  and send the applications of those applicants to the president of
  the institution.  From among those applicants, the president shall
  select two or more applicants as the institution's recommendations
  for the position of faculty regent and shall send the applications
  of those applicants to the governor not later than February 1.  The
  governor may request to review all applications for the position of
  faculty regent received by the faculty senate and may request an
  applicant to submit additional information to the governor.  On
  June 1, or as soon thereafter as practicable, the governor shall
  appoint one of the applicants to serve as the faculty regent for the
  institution for a one-year term expiring on the next May 31.  The
  governor is not required to appoint an applicant recommended by the
  president.
         (e)  To be eligible for appointment as faculty regent, a
  person must be a tenured faculty member at the general academic
  teaching institution and be in good standing as determined by the
  institution at the time of appointment.  The person must remain
  employed as a faculty member of the institution throughout the
  person's term as a faculty regent.
         (f)  A faculty regent is not a member of the board of regents
  of the institution for which the faculty regent is appointed.  A
  faculty regent has the same powers and duties as the members of the
  board of regents of the institution, including the right to attend
  and participate in meetings of the board of regents, except that the
  faculty regent:
               (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)  A vacancy in the position of faculty regent for an
  institution shall be filled for the unexpired term by appointment
  by the governor in consultation with the president of the
  institution.
         (h)  A faculty regent serves without compensation but is
  entitled to be reimbursed for the actual expenses incurred by the
  faculty regent in attending the meetings of the board of regents,
  subject to the approval of the chairman of the board of regents.
         SECTION 2.  The initial term of a faculty regent appointed
  for a state university system under Section 51.358, Education Code,
  as added by this Act, or for a state university under Section
  51.359, Education Code, as added by this Act, expires May 31, 2011.
  The appropriate faculty senates, the chancellor of each state
  university system, the president of each state university that is
  not a part of a university system, and the governor shall take the
  actions required by Sections 51.358 and 51.359, Education Code, as
  added by this Act, as soon as practicable after this Act takes
  effect to select a faculty regent for each state university or state
  university system for that initial term.
         SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
  a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
  provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution.  If this
  Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
  Act takes effect September 1, 2009.