HBA-MPM, H.B. 1297 76(R)BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 1297
By: Lewis, Ron
Higher Education
7/20/1999
Enrolled



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

Lamar University at Port Arthur and Lamar University at Orange initially
received accreditation as separate institutions in 1988 and were
reaccredited in 1993.  Prior to the 76th Texas Legislature, the Southern
Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) accreditation team for Lamar
University at Beaumont  had tied the changing of the names of these
institutions to the reaccreditation of the Beaumont institutions because
these institutions were not four-year schools.  H.B. 1297 changes the names
of Lamar University Institute of Technology to Lamar Institute of
Technology; Lamar University at Orange to Lamar State College--Orange; and
Lamar University at Port Arthur to Lamar State College--Port Arthur.
Furthermore, this bill makes conforming changes regarding allocations to
state universities that have changed names. 

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. 

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1.  Amends Section 96.703, Education Code, as follows:

Sec. 96.703.  New title:  LAMAR INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY.  Deletes
"University" from title.  Makes a conforming change. 

SECTION 2.  Amends Sections 96.704, Education Code, as follows:

Sec. 96.704.  New title:  LAMAR STATE COLLEGE--PORT ARTHUR AND LAMAR STATE
COLLEGE--ORANGE. Requires the board of regents, Texas State University
System, to establish and maintain coeducational lower-division institutions
of higher education as separate accredited degree-granting institutions in
the counties of Jefferson and Orange, to be known as "Lamar State
College--Port Arthur" and "Lamar State College-Orange," rather than Lamar
University, at Port Arthur and Orange, respectively.  Makes conforming
changes. 

SECTION 3.  Amends Sections 54.060(a), (e), and (g), Education Code, as
follows: 

(a)  Includes Lamar State College--Orange and Lamar State College--Port
Arthur among a list of institutes and colleges for which a nonresident
tuition fee does not apply to a student who is a resident of Arkansas,
Louisiana, New Mexico, or Oklahoma.  Deletes a "two-year institution in the
Lamar University System" from this list of institutes and colleges.  Makes
conforming changes. 

(e)  Makes a conforming change.

(g)  Deletes the definition of a "two year institution in the Lamar
University System" (Lamar University at Orange, Lamar University at Port
Arthur, or the Lamar University Institute of Technology in Beaumont).
Makes a nonsubstantive change. 

 SECTION 4.  Amends Section 55.1724(a), Education Code, to make conforming
changes. 

SECTION 5.  Amends Section 61.003, Education Code, by amending Subdivisions
(3), (7), and (8), and adding Subdivision (16), as follows: 

(3) Includes Lamar State College--Orange and Lamar State College--Port
Arthur among those institutions which comprise the definition of "general
academic teaching institution." 

(7)  Includes the Lamar Institute of Technology in the definition of
"public technical institute." 

(8)  Includes a public state college among those institutes and colleges
listed under the definition of "institution of higher education." 

(16)  Defines "public state college" as Lamar State College--Orange, Lamar
State College-Port Arthur, or the Lamar Institute of Technology. 

SECTION 6.  Repealer:  Section 54.060(h), Education Code.  This subsection
states that if legislation enacted by the 74th Legislature, Regular
Session, 1995, transferring the governance of a two-year institution in the
Lamar University System to another board of regents becomes law, the
institution is considered to be an institution in the Lamar University
System.  It further states that if no such legislation becomes law, this
subsection expires January 1, 1996. 

SECTION 7.  Emergency clause.
  Effective date: upon passage.