BILL ANALYSIS

Senate Research Center	C.S.H.B. 3287
88R27926 JTZ-F	By: Anderson; Morales, Eddie (LaMantia)
	Education
	5/11/2023
	Committee Report (Substituted)

AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT

C.S.H.B. 3287 has two main actions. The first action relates to authorizations for various Texas State Technical College System (TSTC) campus locations. The second action addresses concerns raised by the Texas Association of Community Colleges to ensure TSTC campuses do not affect future growth for community colleges.

Regarding the first action, C.S.H.B. 3287 converts the existing TSTC extension center in Hutto into a full TSTC campus with the authority to operate multiple sites in East Williamson County. Second, it authorizes a TSTC campus in Denton County. Third, C.S.H.B. 3287 authorizes a new TSTC campus with the flexibility to operate multiple locations in Comal and Guadalupe Counties.

As for the language requested by the Texas Association of Community Colleges, C.S.H.B. 3287 ensures that the TSTC campuses in Comal, Denton, Guadalupe, and Williamson Counties will not affect any future attempt by neighboring community colleges to add county territory to their taxing districts. This language also ensures that if a new TSTC campus is ever annexed by a community college taxing district, new programs at that campus will still be approved using the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board's standard approval process.

C.S.H.B. 3287 amends current law relating to the locations of the campuses of the Texas State Technical College System.

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 135.02(a), Education Code, as follows:

(a) Provides that the Texas State Technical College System is composed of:

(1) makes no changes to this subdivision;

(2) a campus located in Cameron County, rather than in the city of Harlingen in Cameron County;

(3) a campus serving West Texas that operates as a collective unit of strategically positioned permanent locations in Nolan County, Taylor County, Brown County, and Stephens County, rather than in the city of Sweetwater in Nolan County, the city of Abilene in Taylor County, the city of Brownwood in Brown County, and the city of Breckenridge in Stephens County;

(4) a campus located in Harrison County, rather than in the city of Marshall in Harrison County;

(5) a campus located in McLennan County, rather than in the city of Waco in McLennan County;

(6) makes no changes to this subdivision;

(7) a campus that operates as a collective of one or more locations in Ellis County, rather than a campus located in the city of Red Oak in Ellis County;

(8) a campus that operates as a collective unit of one or more locations in Comal County and Guadalupe County;

(9) a campus located in Denton County;

(10) a campus that operates as a collective unit of one or more locations in Williamson County east of State Highway 130 and Interstate Highway 35; and

(11) makes a nonsubstantive change to this subdivision.

Makes nonsubstantive changes.

SECTION 2. Amends Section 130.063(e), Education Code, to provide that Section 130.063 (Extension of Junior College District Boundaries) does not prevent a junior college district from annexing territory located in Brown County, Comal County, Denton County, Guadalupe County, or Williamson County.

SECTION 3. Amends Section 135.04(b), Education Code, to provide that approval of technical-vocational programs under Section 135.04 (Approval of Programs) does not apply to Brown, McLennan, Cameron, Fort Bend, Comal, Denton, Guadalupe, Williamson, and Potter Counties. Makes a nonsubstantive change.

SECTION 4. Effective date: upon passage or September 1, 2023.