BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 2138

By: Raney

Higher Education

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Interested parties identify the publication and accessibility of taxpayer expenditures as an important element to government transparency. The parties suggest that this transparency should include institutions of higher education, particularly given the recent growth in public junior college districts and the failure of some districts to maintain financial records broken down by campus. H.B. 2138 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 rulemaking authority is expressly granted to the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board in SECTION 1 of this bill.

ANALYSIS

H.B. 2138 amends the Education Code to require the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board to adopt rules requiring each junior college district to publish on the district's website, in an accessible format not later than the 60th day after the end of the applicable state fiscal year, detailed financial information regarding the expenditures made during each state fiscal year with respect to each campus maintained by the district and regarding the source of those expended funds. The bill requires the coordinating board to adopt the rules as soon as practicable after the bill takes effect and, for that purpose, authorizes the coordinating board to adopt the initial rules in the manner provided by law for emergency rules.

EFFECTIVE DATE

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