HBA-KDB H.B. 3590 77(R) BILL ANALYSIS Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 3590 By: Hunter Higher Education 4/1/2001 Introduced BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE The National Geographic Society (society) has offered to establish an endowment fund to support geography education in Texas. While the society maintains control of the endowment, an advisory committee for each state is established to make funding recommendations. House Bill 3590 establishes the National Geographic Society Texas Fund for Geography Education under the auspices of the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board and creates a seven-member advisory committee to propose funding recommendations that would support geographic education programs. 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 House Bill 3590 amends the Education Code to establish the National Geographic Society Texas Fund for Geography Education (fund). The purpose of the fund is to create an endowment to support geographic education programs in Texas, improve the quality of geography education in Texas, and promote a better understanding of Texas by all of its citizens. The bill authorizes the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (board) to execute an agreement with the National Geographic Society (society) to operate the fund. The bill requires the agreement to include the following conditions: appropriated funds are required to be matched by funds from the society; the society is required to provide to the board an annual report describing the fund's investments, earnings, operating procedures, and major programs; and in the event that the board determines that the public purposes are not being realized, the fund is required to be dissolved, and one-half of the current value of the fund is required to be returned to the State Treasury. The bill authorizes the board to transfer to the society any funds appropriated to it for that purpose. The bill requires the board to appoint an advisory committee consisting of seven persons who have expertise and an interest in geography education. The bill requires the advisory committee to solicit proposals from Texas public institutions of higher education for use of any proceeds of the fund and to recommend to the board those that best meet the public purposes. The advisory committee is subject to provisions relating to state agency advisory committees. The bill requires the board, not later than December 1 of each even-numbered year, to report to the governor and the legislature the current value of the fund, the current membership of the advisory committee, and summaries of projects supported by proceeds of the fund during that biennium and other information as appropriate. EFFECTIVE DATE September 1, 2001, if funds are appropriated for the National Geographic Society Texas Fund for Geography Education by the legislature.