HBA-MPM C.S.H.B. 3508 77(R)    BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisC.S.H.B. 3508
By: Wilson
Higher Education
4/16/2001
Committee Report (Substituted)



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

Currently, The University of Texas System board of regents lacks direct
student representation.  The addition of a voting student board member
would allow for representation of student interests.  C.S.H.B. 3508
provides for the addition of a voting student regent to be selected by a
uniform application process administered from the general academic teaching
institutions of the UT system. 

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. 

ANALYSIS

C.S.H.B. 3508 amends the Education Code to require the governor to appoint
a student regent to the board of regents of The University of Texas System
(UT system).  The bill requires the student government of each general
academic teaching institution in the UT system to solicit applicants for
the position of student regent in the academic year preceding the date on
which the term of a student regent expires and to select three individuals
from the applicants at that institution to be screened by the Student
Advisory Council (council) of the UT system.  The council is required to
select three individuals from the screened nominees and refer them to the
chancellor of the UT system.  On approval of the individuals, the
chancellor is required to send their names to the governor.  The governor
is required to appoint one of the individuals to serve as student regent
for the next term of that office. 

The bill sets forth eligibility criteria for a student to serve as student
regent and grants the student regent certain powers and duties, including
voting privileges.  The bill provides that the student regent holds office
for a two-year term beginning September 1 of each odd-numbered year.  The
bill provides that the student regent may not be appointed from the same
general academic teaching institution for consecutive terms. The bill
authorizes the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board to remove a
student regent from the board by a vote of two-thirds of the coordinating
board members.  If a student regent is removed or a vacancy in the position
occurs, the vacancy is required to be filled through the same process in
which a student regent is originally selected. 

EFFECTIVE DATE

October 1, 2001.

COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL TO SUBSTITUTE

C.S.H.B. 3508 differs from the original bill by removing the provision
prohibiting a student regent from being an elected or ex officio member of
the student government of a general academic teaching institution in The
University of Texas System.