STATE LEGISLATIVE UPDATE
April 8, 2005
(This legislative update has been assembled by the UH System Office of Governmental Relations and edited by the UH Division of University Advancement as a service to the UH System community.)
HOUSE PASSES APPROPRIATIONS BILL,
LEGISLATION HEADS FOR CONFERENCE COMMITTEE
Meeting until almost 3 a.m. Thursday, April 7, the House passed the Appropriations Bill. They adopted a number of amendments but did not alter the funding described in last week’s legislative update. The bill now goes to a conference committee where the final decisions will be made. Without specific permission by a vote in each house, the conference committee is restricted to the maximum and minimum dollar amounts in the two versions of the bill for each item of appropriation. The conference committee is composed of five House members and five Senate members appointed by the respective presiding officers. The committee will deliberate for several weeks before making its final decisions.
Now that the Legislature is past the half-way mark, many committees are planning on meeting more than once a week. They are restricted to meeting at times when their respective houses are not in session, so the committees will begin early in the morning, recess for the full House or Senate session, and then resume late in the afternoon and into the evening.
HOUSE HIGHER EDUCATION COMMITTEE
TO REVIEW TOP 10 PERCENT LAW, TRBs, HEF
The House Higher Education Committee has already posted two meetings for next week. On Monday, April 11, they will take up several bills on the top ten percent law and several bills on community college jurisdiction. On Tuesday, April 12, they have a lengthy list of tuition revenue bond bills (including the University of Houston System institutions) along with the Higher Education Fund (HEF) reallocation bill.
On Monday, April 11, the House State Affairs Committee will hear several bills concerning stem cell research, and the Senate Nominations Committee will consider the nominations of Dennis Golden, Lynden Rose and Calvin Stephens to the UH System Board of Regents. Currently the committee is waving their personal appearance.
The Senate Higher Education Subcommittee has posted a wide array of bills for Monday afternoon. The following posting will give you an idea of the number and breadth of issues with which just one committee will deal next week:
SB 39
Zaffirini
Relating to forensic evidence training for students enrolled in certain medical or nursing degree programs.
SB 549
Ellis / et al.
Relating to the disclosure of information relating to the investment of the permanent university fund and other funds under the management and control of the board of regents of The University of Texas System.
SB 582
Van de Putte
Relating to tuition and fee exemptions for certain military personnel and their dependents.
SB 817
West, Royce
Relating to financial transaction awareness plans to be adopted by public institutions of higher education.
SB 1034
West, Royce
Relating to the use of gifts to fund technology workforce development grants and to the evaluation of the technology workforce development grant program.
SB 1227
Shapiro / et al.
Relating to payment of the costs of attending public and private postsecondary educational institutions and to financial aid and other measures to assist students to pay those costs.
SB 1475
Shapleigh
Relating to prerequisites to an institution of higher education increasing designated tuition.
SB 1502
West, Royce
Relating to improvements in and assessments of the status of higher education in this state and to the coordination of public institutions of higher education in this state.
SB 1529
Zaffirini
Relating to policies and measures to promote timely graduation of students from public institutions of higher education.
SB 1544
West, Royce
Relating to purchasing practices of public junior college and community college districts.
SB 1701
Averitt
Relating to tuition and fee rebates for timely completion of degree programs offered by general academic teaching institutions.
SB 1716
Van de Putte
Relating to the sale of instructional materials and other merchandise to students of institutions of higher education.
Pending Bills:
SB 30
Zaffirini
Relating to tuition and fee exemptions for students contracting to graduate in a timely manner from public institutions of higher education.
SB 95
Shapleigh
Relating to the establishment of an asthma research center at the Texas Tech University campus in El Paso.
SB 158
Fraser
Relating to the authority of another institution of higher education to conduct vocational or technical courses in the service
area of a junior college district.
SB 448
Zaffirini
Relating to the Texas Academy of International Studies at Texas A&M International University.
SB 676
West, Royce
Relating to identifying which public institutions of higher education in this state are comprehensive research universities of the first class.
SB 722
Lucio / et al.
Relating to the creation of the TexasNextStep grant program to pay tuition and required fees and textbook costs of certain students enrolled in two-year public institutions of higher education in this state.
SB 1228
Shapiro / et al.
Relating to a statewide assessment and accountability system for public institutions of higher education.
More information on legislation.
SELECTED NEWS ARTICLES
ON HIGHER EDUCATION POSTED DAILY
Selected news articles from local, state, and national publications are being posted on the UH System Governmental Relations web page.
view the articles.GUIDELINES FOR CONTACTING LEGISLATORS
It’s important that legislators hear from faculty, staff, alumni, and friends of the UH System. But if you are a member of the faculty or staff (a state employee) wishing to contact your legislator, it’s equally important to follow certain guidelines when you write or fax letters.Information on governmental relations policies
Find the names and addresses of Texas Senators and Representatives