BILL ANALYSIS

Senate Research Center	S.B. 1797
	By: West
	Higher Education
	4/12/2021
	As Filed

AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT

The TexShare program is a statewide resource-sharing consortium of hundreds of member libraries in Texas administered by the Texas State Library and Archives Commission (TSLAC). The TexShare program maximizes the effectiveness of library expenditures by enabling member libraries to share staff expertise, share materials electronic and print formats, pursue joint purchasing agreements on electronic databases, and encourage the cooperative development of Texas libraries statewide. TexShare is made up of Texas academic libraries, public libraries, and libraries of clinical medicine.

Paul Quinn College of Dallas is a member of the Independent Colleges and Universities of Texas, Inc. (ICUT), and is a federally recognized work college. Paul Quinn had a consortium membership in TexShare that provided their students with affordable and continual access to information that was otherwise not available to them on campus.

S.B. 1797 would add a work college, as that term is defined by 20 U.S.C. Section 1087-58, to the institutions allowed access to the TexShare program.

As proposed, S.B. 1797 amends current law relating to access by an institution of higher education to the TexShare library consortium.

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 Subchapter M, Chapter 441, Government Code, to redefine "institution of higher education" for Subchapter M (TexShare Library Consortium) to include a work college, as that term is defined by 20 U.S.C. Section 1087-58.

SECTION 2. Effective date: September 1, 2021.