| TO: | Honorable Dan Branch, Chair, House Committee on Higher Education |
| FROM: | Ursula Parks, Director, Legislative Budget Board |
| IN RE: | HB2753 by Branch (Relating to excellence funding for certain health-related institutions of higher education.), As Introduced |
The bill would establish the Excellence Fund for Health Related Institutions in the General Revenue Fund, and would consist of money transferred to it or appropriations from the Legislature. In addition, the Comptroller would be able to solicit and accept gifts or grants for the fund from any public or private source.
According to provisions of the bill, to be eligible for distributions from the fund, a health related institution (HRI) must make a one-time initial transfer to the fund from its non-formula appropriations, with the amount determined through legislative appropriation. Each fiscal year, a total of 25 points would be awarded to eligible HRIs for each of the following metrics: (1) sponsored research; (2) faculty quality; (3) doctoral degrees; (4) philanthropy; (5) commercialization; and (6) patents. Each fiscal year, each eligible HRI would be entitled to receive a share of the money in proportion to the HRI’s percentage of the total number of points awarded. Each biennium, each of the six metrics would be determined using the average of the three most recent years for which the information is available, and the determined average governs distributions from the fund for each year of that biennium.
It is assumed that there would be no new state appropriations for the implementation of the bill. However, in order for the seven HRIs listed in the bill to not experience a net loss after their initial transfer into the Excellence Fund, additional state appropriations of at least $1.0 million would have to be added to the fund.
The legislation would take effect September 1, 2013, or immediately with a vote of two-thirds of all members in each house.
| Source Agencies: | 710 Texas A&M University System Administrative and General Offices, 720 The University of Texas System Administration, 768 Texas Tech University System Administration, 769 University of North Texas System Administration, 781 Higher Education Coordinating Board
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| LBB Staff: | UP, KK, SK, DEH
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