HBA-LJP S.B. 576 77(R)    BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisS.B. 576
By: West, Royce
Higher Education
4/8/2001
Engrossed



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

Laws pertaining to the University of North Texas System have been
introduced piecemeal into legislation, and as a result the language of
current law may not be uniform.  In addition, the current University of
North Texas System Center (center) at Dallas offers junior, senior, and
graduate courses.  However, to meet the needs of the diverse population of
the city of Dallas, the center may eventually need to be established as a
full undergraduate university.  Senate Bill 576 establishes the University
of North Texas at Dallas and restructures provisions relating to the
University of North Texas 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

Senate Bill 576 amends the Education Code to establish and to incorporate
the University of North Texas at Dallas (UNTD) into the University of North
Texas System (system) as an institution of higher education and component
institution located in the city of Dallas on property designated by the
board of regents of the system (board).  The bill authorizes the board to
accept gifts, grants, donations, acquire land for UNTD, and plan for the
development of UNTD and the academic programs offered at UNTD.  The bill
also authorizes UNTD to operate as a general academic teaching institution
with its own chief executive officer, administration, and faculty only
after the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board certifies that the
enrollment at the University of North Texas System Center at Dallas has
reached the equivalent of 2,500 full-time students for one semester.  Until
then, the board may operate a system center of the University of North
Texas in the city of Dallas (Secs. 105.001 and 105.451). 

The bill requires the board to appoint a chancellor who serves as chief
executive officer of the system and to appoint a qualified president of
each component institution of the system who serves as chief executive
officer of the institution (Sec. 105.102).  The bill authorizes the board
to make joint appointments in the component institutions of the system,
with the salary to be apportioned to the appointing institution on the
basis of services rendered (Sec. 105.109). 

The bill sets forth and modifies the powers and duties of the board (Sec.
105.101).  The bill authorizes the board to delegate to an employee of the
system the authority to negotiate, execute, and approve a contract with the
system (Sec. 105.108). 

The bill provides that the venue for a suit filed solely against the
University of North Texas Health Science Center at Fort Worth or its
officers or employees is in Tarrant County and the venue for a suit filed
solely against officers or employees of the University of North Texas at
Dallas or the University of North Texas at Dallas is in Dallas County (Sec.
105.151). 

The bill sets forth provisions relating to police jurisdiction and
delegation of municipal parking regulation authority that apply to all the
component institutions of the system (Secs. 105.152 and 105.153). 
 
The bill authorizes the board to provide authorization for the
establishment of a research park by one or more component institutions of
the system.  The bill also authorizes the administrator of the park to use
private or public entities for scientific and technological research and
development in the surrounding region (Sec. 105.110). 

If the board determines that a class with more than 30 students for each
classroom teacher at the Texas Academy of Mathematics and Science (academy)
would contribute to the educational development of the students in the
class, then the bill authorizes the class size to exceed the pupil-teacher
ratio limit (Sec. 105.303).  The bill also provides that if a civil suit
based on an action or omission by an employee of the academy in the course
of the employee's employment is filed, then the employee's liability is
limited to the liability of a public servant (Sec. 105.308). 

The bill repeals certain provisions relating to the University of North
Texas Health Science Center at Fort Worth and the University of North Texas
(SECTION 1). 

EFFECTIVE DATE

On passage, or if the Act does not receive the necessary vote, the Act
takes effect September 1, 2001.