Subject search results

3 Document(s) [ Subject: Sexual harassment ]

Committee: House Higher Education
Title: Interim Report
Subjects: Capital construction assistance projects | Distance education | Dual credit high school programs | Freedom of speech | Higher education | Higher Education Coordinating Board, Texas | Sex crimes | Sexual harassment | Student loans | Student transfers | University finance |
Library Call Number: L1836.86 Ed84hh
Session: 86th R.S. (2019)
Online version: View report [96 pages  File size: 1,706 kb]
Charges: This report should address the charges below.
1. Monitor the agencies and programs under the Committee's jurisdiction and oversee the implementation of relevant legislation passed by the 86th Legislature. Conduct active oversight of all associated rulemaking and other governmental actions taken to ensure intended legislative outcome of all legislation, including the following:
  • HB 449, HB 1735, and SB 212, which relate to sexual harassment, sexual assault, dating violence, and stalking at public and private postsecondary educational institutions. Monitor the process by which institutions of higher education adopt policies on sexual assault prevention, victim outreach programs, and disciplinary hearings. Monitor rules and regulations at the federal level that could necessitate changes to state law.
  • HB 1638, 85th R.S., which relates to statewide goals for dual credit programs. Review best practices for providing opportunities to high school students to earn college credit while ensuring that courses taken reflect authentic, college-level rigor.
  • SB 18, which relates to the protection of expressive activities at public institutions of higher education. Monitor the process by which institutions of higher education implement policies to protect the expressive rights of persons guaranteed by the constitutions of the United States and of this state.
  • SB 25, which relates to measures to facilitate the transfer, academic progress, and timely graduation of students in public higher education. Monitor the process by which the Higher Education Coordinating Board adopts rules via negotiated rulemaking. Monitor the progress of institutions developing recommended course sequences and the progress of the feasibility study to implement statewide meta majors.
  • SB 16, which relates to a student loan repayment assistance program for peace officers. Monitor the process by which the Higher Education Coordinating Board implements the loan repayment program and administers the grants to eligible peace officers.
2. Evaluate current and future capital infrastructure needs at Texas public universities, health-related institutions, and Texas State Technical Colleges in preparation for potential legislation to be considered by the 87th Legislature. Identify and evaluate alternatives to tuition revenue bonds for the State’s funding of higher education capital infrastructure needs, including options for addressing deferred maintenance needs at aging campuses.
3. Review progress toward the goals of the 60X30TX plan, including institutional strategies for responding to diverse and rapidly changing workforce needs and demands, including workforce education, industry certification, and degree programs to address healthcare shortages. Specifically review community colleges’ capacity to meet the goals of 60X30TX, including a review of taxing districts and service areas versus geographic areas of need. Review the Tri-Agency Workforce Initiative's work-based learning, industry-aligned internships, and industry credential initiatives. Consider whether legislative action may be needed to expand work-based learning and recruitment efforts for adults who have previously completed some college level coursework.
4. Study the prevalence of online courses and degrees in higher education. Examine how institutions providing online courses and programs are accredited, particularly courses and programs originating from states other than Texas. Evaluate how students whose courses and degrees are primarily online perform in terms of persistence and degree completion versus students who take courses in traditional classroom settings. Study labor market outcomes for students with primarily online courses and degrees versus more traditional programs.
5. Monitor the State Auditor's review of agencies and programs under the Committee's jurisdiction. The Chair shall seek input and periodic briefings on completed audits for the 2019 and 2020 fiscal years and bring forth pertinent issues for full committee consideration.
Committee: House Judiciary and Civil Jurisprudence
Title: Interim Report
Subjects: Coronavirus | Court records | Criminal justice | Guardianship | Highway construction | Juries | Jurisdiction (Legal) | Sex crimes | Sexual harassment | Statutes of limitation | Wills and estates |
Library Call Number: L1836.86 J898
Session: 86th R.S. (2019)
Online version: View report [79 pages  File size: 5,349 kb]
Charges: This report should address the charges below.
1. Monitor the agencies and programs under the Committee's jurisdiction and oversee the implementation of relevant legislation passed by the 86th Legislature. Conduct active oversight of all associated rulemaking and other governmental actions taken to ensure intended legislative outcome of all legislation, including the following:
  • HB 2899, which specifies that highway construction contractors are not liable for design defects. Investigate whether expansion of those policies to other areas of public/private contracting is in the best interest of the state.
  • HB 3809, which raises the statute of limitations for suit for injuries from a sexual assault of a child from 15 years to 30 years. Study and deliberate ways to enhance protections for victims of sexual abuse. Review other Texas laws relating to reporting and investigating incidents of workplace sexual harassment. Make recommendations to remove barriers to reporting and investigating incidents of sexual harassment and to make improvements to existing policies where necessary.
  • HB 4531, which authorizes adults under guardianship to consent to forensic medical examination protocols. Monitor the impact of the legislation on the prevention, investigation, and prosecution of sexual assault, and study the impact on other related offenses and the treatment and services provided to victims of those offenses.
  • SB 2342, which increases the amount in controversy for certain courts and expedited proceedings and makes reforms to jury requirements in order to improve access to courts. Review the impact of the legislation on the administration of justice and access to courts for Texas citizens
2. Study opportunities to modernize and improve local and statewide data collection throughout the criminal justice system in Texas, including improving the collection and reporting of court records, to promote transparency and ensure uniform data collection processes.
3. Study the Rule Against Perpetuities as used by trusts. Examine whether statutory changes are necessary and appropriate to make Texas more competitive and keep trust capital and estate planning business in Texas.
4. Monitor the State Auditor's review of agencies and programs under the Committee's jurisdiction. The Chair shall seek input and periodic briefings on completed audits for the 2019 and 2020 fiscal years and bring forth pertinent issues for full committee consideration.
5. Compile information regarding the effects of COVID-19 on the judiciary, with particular reference to the following questions: 1. Have you had any difficulty acquiring PPE for your court, county, or staff? 2. How have your caseloads been impacted by COVID-19? Do you have a backlog of cases? 3. What has been your experience in using Zoom or other online platforms for court proceedings? 4. How has the pandemic impacted court staff, e.g. space, teleworking, flexible work shifts, etc.? *
Committee: House Higher Education
Title: Interim Report
Subjects: Dual credit high school programs | Higher education | Higher education affordability | Hurricane Harvey | Nontraditional students | Sex crimes | Sexual harassment | Teacher training |
Library Call Number: L1836.85 Ed84hh
Session: 85th R.S. (2017)
Online version: View report [23 pages]
Charges: This report should address the charges below.
1. Determine, to the extent possible, the scope of financial losses to 2- and 4-year institutions, including facilities, that resulted from Hurricane Harvey. Recommend possible state actions to mitigate any negative impact on institutions and ensure governance structures and parameters allow for effective responses. Review the educational opportunities offered to students displaced by Harvey throughout the state. Recommend any changes that could improve the process and what additional services might be needed for these displaced students.
2. Determine the impact of any federal action pertaining to Title IX and the potential effects on current state laws and rules pertaining to sexual misconduct policies at institutions of higher education.
3. Examine the rapid growth of dual credit course offerings across the state, and evaluate whether dual credit is effectively reducing time-to-degree and improving affordability for students and the state. Evaluate institutions’ policies and processes for ensuring rigor and quality, and the adequacy of student advising regarding the potential applicability of dual credit courses to future academic program requirements. Review the current state funding methodology and costs of, and the share of state funding attributable to, dual credit programs.
4. Examine efforts of 2- and 4-year institutions to implement innovative and non-traditional models of education delivery to meet the needs of an increasingly diverse student body and the demands of a rapidly changing workforce. Identify any obstacles to institutional innovation. Make recommendations to scale innovative educational models to better serve students and employers.
5. Review current data available to the public about Educator Preparation Programs (EPPs) and make recommendations to ensure the data is transparent, user-friendly, and actionable. Review the current EPP accountability system and recommend any new indicators or changes, including evaluating the ability of programs to meet the workforce needs of school districts by preparing teachers for high-needs areas. Determine ways to measure the effectiveness of teachers prepared by individual programs. For traditional EPP programs, make recommendations on how to more fully involve boards of regents in an effort to elevate the importance of teacher preparation within our state institutions. Examine current joint partnerships between EPPs and public schools to meet regional workforce needs, and make recommendations on how to scale these partnerships. (Joint charge with the House Committee on Public Education S/C on Teacher Quality)
6. Monitor the agencies and programs under the Committee’s jurisdiction and oversee the implementation of relevant legislation passed by the 85th Legislature. In conducting this oversight, the Committee will also specifically include: S.B. 2118 (85R) and 60x30TX, the higher education strategic plan.

* This represents an abstract of the report contents. Charge text is incomplete or unavailable.

Information on this website is provided as a public service by the Legislative Reference Library. The Legislative Reference Library makes no representation as to its completeness or accuracy and makes no warranty in regard to its use. Users assume all risk of reliance on the information included on this site.