HBA-KMH H.B. 3727 76(R)    BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 3727
By: Maxey
Higher Education
3/25/1999
Introduced



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

The 72nd Legislature created the Student Fees Advisory Committee at the
University of Texas at Austin (UT) to allow student and faculty input into
the determination of student fees.  Currently, the committee consists of
four faculty members, appointed by the UT president, and five student
members, appointed by the student government president.  Concerns have been
raised by students at UT that the student appointed members are not
representative of the student body as a whole. 

Other boards on campus that act in a similar manner, like the Texas Union
Board of Directors and the University Co-Op Board of Directors, elect their
members through campus wide elections. 

H.B. 3727 requires the student members to be popularly elected by the
student body. 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that this bill does
not expressly delegate any additional rulemaking authority to a state
officer, department, agency, or institution. 

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1.  Amends Sections 54.514(b) and (g), Education Code, as follows:

(b) Requires the student members of the student fees advisory committee to
be popularly elected by the student body.  Deletes text requiring the
student members be selected by the student government of the university. 

(g) Makes a conforming change.

SECTION 2.  Makes application of this Act prospective beginning with the
1999 fall semester. 

SECTION 3.  Emergency clause.
  Effective date: upon passage.