(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.)
Congratulations to UH System Regents Dennis Golden, Lynden Rose and Calvin Stephens who were all confirmed by the Senate on Thursday, April 14.
House and Senate conferees have been named for the Appropriations Bill. Two of the 10 members are from Houston: Sen. John Whitmire and Speaker Pro Tempore Sylvester Turner. The committee will be chaired by Sen. Steve Ogden (R-College Station) and Rep. Jim Pitts (R-Waxahachie). The other members are Sens. Bob Duncan (R-Lubbock), Kip Averitt and Judith Zaffirini (D-Laredo) and Reps. Lois Kolkhorst (R-Brenham), Dan Gattis (R-Georgetown) and Vilma Luna (D-Corpus Christi). Although they have not posted a hearing, they will probably hold an organizational meeting next week.
Next Monday, April 18, the full House will consider HB 1215 by Rep. Geanie Morrison authorizing the University of Houston-Victoria to offer doctoral programs. The Senate may consider SB 1484 by Sen. Tommy Williams. He has placed it on the Senate intent calendar. This bill, in effect, allows the legislature to reduce general revenue based on increases in tuition.
Lengthy agendas have been posted for many committees next week. The following are of particular interest:
House State Affairs:
HB 1206 Nixon
Relating to the resolution of certain contract claims against the state.
HB 1330 Chisum
Relating to the creation of a dispute resolution program for state building contracts.
HB 1940 Ritter
Relating to alternative dispute resolution of certain contract claims against the state.
HB 2247 Isett
Relating to state contracts management, including the training of personnel, the negotiation of contracts and the standardization of practices.
HB 2699 Swinford
Relating to the Department of Information Resources.
HB 2932 Delisi
Relating to requiring state agency purchasing personnel to disclose certain family relationships with business entities receiving state agency contracts.
HB 3278 Isett
Relating to the management, security and protection of personal information and governmental records.
House Higher Education:
HB 1311 Puente
Requiring a course in multicultural or gender studies in baccalaureate degree programs at public institutions of higher education.
HB 530 Howard
Relating to prohibiting discrimination in awarding state scholarships or other financial aid for higher education based on a person’s high school attendance or achievement.
HB 2803 Morrison
Relating to the sale of facilities of public institutions of higher education to real estate investment trusts.
Senate Subcommittee on Higher Education:
SB 31 Zaffirini
Relating to requiring students receiving certain financial aid at institutions of higher education to meet timely graduation and academic progress requirements.
SB 817 West, Royce
Relating to financial transaction awareness plans to be adopted by public institutions of higher education.
SB 1037 Lucio
Relating to tuition rates for Olympic athletes residing and training in Texas.
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 1300 West, Royce
Relating to an excused absence from a public institution of higher education for a person called to active military service.
SB 1528 Zaffirini
Relating to the payment of tuition and fees at public institutions of higher education and the determination of Texas residency for that purpose.
SB 1553 Ellis
Relating to the creation of a program for alternative funding of Toward Excellence, Access, & Success (TEXAS) grants.
SB 1594 Lucio
Relating to a small contractor assistance program for bidding on construction contracts at institutions of higher education.
SB 1671 Hinojosa
Relating to higher education tuition exemptions for members of certain groups that are underrepresented among the faculty or administration of public junior colleges.
SCR 17 Madla / et al.
Requesting Texas institutes of higher education to offer education and research opportunities in viticulture and enology.
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