BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 2621

By: Raney

Higher Education

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

According to interested parties, the members currently serving on the board of trustees of the Blinn Junior College District are from the same single county in the district's expansive service area, creating a situation in which the county where the district's largest campus is located, and where an overwhelming majority of the district's student population is served, has no representation on the board. H.B. 2621 seeks to provide for that representation through the appointment of additional board members.

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

H.B. 2621 amends the Education Code to require the commissioners court of each county in which a branch campus of the Blinn Junior College District with a student enrollment greater than 10,000 is located to appoint two members to serve on the district's board of trustees, in addition to the members of the board elected or appointed as otherwise provided by law. The bill establishes that these additional members serve staggered six-year terms, with the term of one member expiring on February 1 every three years. The bill adds a temporary provision, set to expire January 1, 2022, requiring the commissioners court, in appointing the initial additional members, to designate one of the members to serve a term expiring February 1, 2018, and the other member to serve a term expiring February 1, 2021. The bill requires the commissioners court to appoint the initial members not later than December 31, 2015.

H.B. 2621 authorizes the additional members to participate in the decision-making of the board to the same extent as any other member of the board but limits the participation of additional members appointed by the commissioners court of a county that is not located in the district to matters not related to the imposition of a tax or the distribution of revenue raised from a tax and establishes that such members are counted for purposes of determining whether a quorum of the board is present only for the purpose of such matters.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2015.