BILL ANALYSIS

C.S.H.B. 658

By: Zerwas

Higher Education

Committee Report (Substituted)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Interested parties note that Texas State Technical College (TSTC) has operated a technical center in Fort Bend County for over a decade in partnership with certain entities. The center was small, the parties note, with little room to expand, which led to TSTC's recent proposal to end its presence in the area. According to the parties, community leaders objected and instead asked TSTC to expand its footprint in Fort Bend County. C.S.H.B. 658 seeks to provide for that expansion.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision.

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

C.S.H.B. 658 amends the Education Code to include a campus located in Fort Bend County among the components of the Texas State Technical College System and to include Fort Bend County among the counties in which Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board approval of certain technical-vocational programs offered by a campus or extension center is not required.

EFFECTIVE DATE

On passage, or, if the bill does not receive the necessary vote, September 1, 2015.

COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL AND SUBSTITUTE

While C.S.H.B. 658 may differ from the original in minor or nonsubstantive ways, the following comparison is organized and formatted in a manner that indicates the substantial differences between the introduced and committee substitute versions of the bill.

INTRODUCED	HOUSE COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE
SECTION 1. Section 135.02(a), Education Code, is amended to read as follows: (a) The Texas State Technical College System is composed of: (1) a system office located in the city of Waco in McLennan County; (2) a campus located in the city of Harlingen in Cameron County; (3) a campus serving West Texas that operates as a collective unit of strategically positioned permanent locations in the city of Sweetwater in Nolan County, the city of Abilene in Taylor County, the city of Brownwood in Brown County, and the city of Breckenridge in Stephens County; (4) a campus located in the city of Marshall in Harrison County; (5) a campus located in the city of Waco in McLennan County; (6) a campus located in the city of Richmond in Fort Bend County; (7) an extension center located in Ellis County; and (8) [(7)] campuses assigned to the system from time to time by specific legislative Act.	SECTION 1. Section 135.02(a), Education Code, is amended to read as follows: (a) The Texas State Technical College System is composed of: (1) a system office located in the city of Waco in McLennan County; (2) a campus located in the city of Harlingen in Cameron County; (3) a campus serving West Texas that operates as a collective unit of strategically positioned permanent locations in the city of Sweetwater in Nolan County, the city of Abilene in Taylor County, the city of Brownwood in Brown County, and the city of Breckenridge in Stephens County; (4) a campus located in the city of Marshall in Harrison County; (5) a campus located in the city of Waco in McLennan County; (6) a campus located in Fort Bend County; (7) an extension center located in Ellis County; and (8) [(7)] campuses assigned to the system from time to time by specific legislative Act.
SECTION 2. Section 135.04(b), Education Code, is amended.	SECTION 2. Same as introduced version.
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, 2015.	SECTION 3. Same as introduced version.