AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT
According to interested parties, the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board's (THECB) recent sunset bill restructured financial aid programs for two-year colleges. The parties report that the methodology used to allocate Texas Educational Opportunity Grant funding as part of the restructuring resulted in less funding for certain state technical colleges than previously received. THECB attempted negotiated rulemaking between community colleges and two-year colleges to correct this unintended consequence but was unable to reach consensus. Interested parties assert the unintended consequence should be corrected and the applicable funding returned to its previous level. H.B. 3577 addresses this issue.
H.B. 3577 amends current law relating to the distribution of funds under the Texas Educational Opportunity Grant Program.
RULEMAKING AUTHORITY
This bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, institution, or agency.
SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS
SECTION 1. Amends Section 56.403, Education Code, by adding Subsection (e), to require the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) annually, from money appropriated by the legislature for the purposes of this subchapter, to consult representatives from public community colleges, public state colleges, and public technical institutes to determine and reach unanimous consensus on the allocation of money available for initial grants among eligible institutions and to distribute accordingly. Requires THECB to establish the amount of funds eligible for the public state colleges and public technical institutes as eight percent of the total amount appropriated if unanimous consensus cannot be reached among the representatives. Provides that this subsection expires August 31, 2018.
SECTION 2. Effective date: September 1, 2015.