BILL ANALYSIS

C.S.H.B. 2193

By: Muñoz, Jr.

Higher Education

Committee Report (Substituted)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

It has been suggested that increasing the capacity of South Texas College to offer more baccalaureate degree programs would return significant economic value. C.S.H.B. 2193 seeks to provide such a capacity increase by raising the limit on the number of such degree programs that South Texas College may offer at any time.

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

C.S.H.B. 2193 amends the Education Code to authorize South Texas College to offer a maximum of six baccalaureate degree programs at any time as an exception to the general limit of three such programs offered at any time that applies to a public junior college.

EFFECTIVE DATE

On passage, or, if the bill does not receive the necessary vote, September 1, 2019.

COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL AND SUBSTITUTE

While C.S.H.B. 2193 may differ from the original in minor or nonsubstantive ways, the following summarizes the substantial differences between the introduced and committee substitute versions of the bill.

The substitute includes a provision authorizing South Texas College to provide a maximum of six baccalaureate degree programs at any time, as an exception to the limit of three that would otherwise apply, and does not include any provisions increasing the maximum number of baccalaureate degree programs in certain fields that may be offered by a public junior college that previously participated in a certain pilot project.