BILL ANALYSIS

S.B. 1113

By: Zaffirini

Higher Education

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

The Texas Research Incentive Program (TRIP) awards matching funds to an eligible institution of higher education designated as an emerging research university under the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board's accountability system based on gifts or endowments given by private sources for the purpose of enhancing research activities at the institution, including a gift or endowment for endowed chairs, professorships, research facilities, research equipment, program costs, or graduate research stipends or fellowships.

Interested parties contend that the coordinating board currently deems gifts for undergraduate research ineligible for matching funds despite gifts for undergraduate financial aid being the only intended exclusion from the program. The parties conclude that, in order to best accomplish the goals of TRIP, emerging research universities should be able to match private donations tied to undergraduate research. S.B. 1113 seeks to make certain clarifications to current law relating to matching private grants given to enhance additional research activities at institutions of higher education.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.

ANALYSIS

S.B. 1113 amends the Education Code to include a gift or endowment for undergraduate research among the gifts and endowments received by an eligible institution of higher education from private sources in a state fiscal year for the purpose of enhancing research activities at the institution for which the institution is entitled to receive, out of funds appropriated for the purposes of the Texas Research Incentive Program (TRIP) for that fiscal year, a matching grant in a certain amount. The bill specifies that an eligible institution is not entitled to matching funds under TRIP for a gift for financial aid grants.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2013.