Honorable Joan Huffman, Chair, Senate Committee on State Affairs
FROM:
Ursula Parks, Director, Legislative Budget Board
IN RE:
SB968 by Watson (Relating to requiring certain public and private institutions of higher education to provide students and employees an option to electronically report certain offenses to the institution.), Committee Report 1st House, Substituted
No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.
The bill would require public and private postsecondary institutions to provide students and employees an option to electronically report to the institution allegations of sexual harassment, sexual assault, dating violence, or stalking committed against or witnessed by the student or employee, regardless of the location at which the alleged offense occurred. The Higher Education Coordinating Board could adopt rules to administer provisions of the bill. The bill would require the commissioner of higher education to establish a nine member advisory committee comprised of the chief executive officers of the postsecondary educational institution or a representative designated by that officers. The advisory committee would submit recommendations to the Higher Education Coordinating Board regarding rules for implementing provisions of the bill. Based on the analysis provided by institutions of higher education, duties and responsibilities associated with implementing the provisions of the bill could be accomplished by utilizing existing resources. It is assumed that the Higher Education Coordinating Board could implement provisions of the bill within existing resources.
Local Government Impact
No significant fiscal implication to units of local government is anticipated.
Source Agencies:
710 Texas A&M University System Administrative and General Offices, 720 The University of Texas System Administration, 758 Texas State University System, 768 Texas Tech University System Administration, 781 Higher Education Coordinating Board, 783 University of Houston System Administration