BILL ANALYSIS

C.S.H.B. 1903

By: Raney

Higher Education

Committee Report (Substituted)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Blinn Junior College District, interested parties note, is made up of four separate district campuses in Bryan, Brenham, Schulenburg, and Sealy. According to the parties, the revenue collected from tuition, fees, and state appropriations for the district is pooled into one fund and distributed according to the will of the district's governing board in Brenham, despite the Bryan campus's recent rapid student population growth and the relatively stagnant growth, if not decline, at the other campuses. This arrangement, the parties continue, has resulted in funds being distributed in a manner that directs money away from the growing and financially self-sustaining Bryan campus towards the other campuses. C.S.H.B. 1903 seeks to address this issue.

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. 1903 amends the Education Code to require the governing board of Blinn Junior College District, beginning with the 2016–2017 state fiscal biennium and each state fiscal biennium thereafter, to direct a proportionate amount of the total amount of funds the district receives from tuition and fees and funds appropriated to the district based on contact hours to each district campus with a student enrollment of at least 1,000 based on the percentage of the total amount of tuition and fees collected at that campus.

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. 1903 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. Subchapter G, Chapter 130, Education Code, is amended by adding Section 130.1222 to read as follows: Sec. 130.1222. BLINN JUNIOR COLLEGE DISTRICT; CAMPUS FUNDING. Each state fiscal biennium, the governing board of Blinn Junior College District shall direct a proportionate amount of the total amount of funds the district receives from tuition and fees and funds appropriated to the district based on contact hours to each district campus based on the percentage of the total amount of tuition and fees collected at that campus.	SECTION 1. Subchapter G, Chapter 130, Education Code, is amended by adding Section 130.1222 to read as follows: Sec. 130.1222. BLINN JUNIOR COLLEGE DISTRICT; CAMPUS FUNDING. Each state fiscal biennium, the governing board of Blinn Junior College District shall direct a proportionate amount of the total amount of funds the district receives from tuition and fees and funds appropriated to the district based on contact hours to each district campus with a student enrollment of at least 1,000 based on the percentage of the total amount of tuition and fees collected at that campus.
SECTION 2. The change in law made by this Act applies beginning with the state fiscal biennium ending August 31, 2017.	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.