BILL ANALYSIS

S.B. 1855

By: Eltife

Higher Education

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Interested parties note that Bowie County residents recently voted to annex all of Bowie County into the Texarkana College District and that Texarkana College now requests an amendment to the law to reflect the expansion of the district to include all of Bowie County. According to the parties, current members of Texarkana College's governing board have also requested that the newly annexed portions of Bowie County have a direct voice in the governance of the college. S.B. 1855 seeks to fulfill these requests and enable the board to restructure by granting the board certain authority and expanding the Texarkana College District service area.

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. 1855 amends the Education Code to authorize the governing board of the Texarkana College District by resolution or order of the board to decrease the number of board members from nine to seven, with four members elected from respective commissioner precincts and three members elected at large. The bill requires the resolution or order to establish transition terms of office to conform to elections held in even-numbered years and staggered six-year terms, with the initial board terms of three members expiring in 2014, of two members expiring in 2016, and of two members expiring in 2018.

S.B. 1855 expands the taxing district in relation to the service area of the Texarkana College District to include all of Bowie County, rather than part of the municipality of Texarkana and part of the Pleasant Grove Independent School District.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2013.