BILL ANALYSIS

S.B. 1188

By: Seliger

Higher Education

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Interested parties contend that the dissemination of research findings in a wide range of fields is in the public interest and would provide a public benefit and that, in order to facilitate such dissemination of knowledge, a study is needed to determine whether it is feasible to require a Texas researcher whose research is funded by state or federal money to submit an electronic copy of each original research paper to a state agency once the paper is accepted for publication in a peer-reviewed journal and, if so, to consider the manner in which such research papers may be made available to the public. S.B. 1188 attempts to advance the idea of further disseminating the results of publicly funded research.

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

S.B. 1188 amends the Education Code, in provisions that expire September 1, 2017, to require the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, in consultation with institutions of higher education, publishing companies, and any other interested persons the coordinating board considers appropriate, to study the feasibility of requiring each researcher whose research is funded wholly or partly with state money, or federal money if the research is conducted in Texas or by an institution of higher education, to submit to a state agency an electronic copy of each original research paper by the researcher that is accepted for publication in a peer-reviewed journal. The bill requires the study to examine the time requirements for submitting a research paper; the manner for making the research paper available to the public, including posting on a website; the state agencies that have the resources necessary to collect research papers and coordinate the dissemination of the research papers; and federal law requirements on the publication of a research paper by a researcher whose research is funded with federal money. The bill requires the coordinating board, not later than December 1, 2016, to report the results of the study, its findings, and any recommendations to the legislature.

EFFECTIVE DATE

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