HBA-MPM H.B. 3284 76(R)    BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 3284
By: Van de Putte
Higher Education
3/31/1999
Introduced



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

Athletic opportunities for men have traditionally been greater than those
for women.  H.B. 3284 establishes the women's development fund,
administered by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, to help
reduce the disparity between women's and men's athletics and to promote
equity.  This bill additionally expands opportunities to high school
students whose schools, due to economic factors, have limited athletic
facilities, programs, and opportunities.   

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 Chapter 51, Education Code, by adding Subchapter T, as
follows: 

SUBCHAPTER T.  WOMEN'S ATHLETIC DEVELOPMENT FUND

Sec. 51.851.  DEFINITIONS.  Defines for the purpose of this subchapter the
following terms:  "board," "fund," and "institution of higher education." 

Sec. 51.852.  FUND.  Requires the Texas Higher Education Board (board) to
administer the fund. 

Sec. 51.853.  USE OF FUND.  Requires the board to allocate money in the
fund to institutions of higher education for the establishment of women's
athletic development programs operated by the institution on a
collaborative basis with one or more public high schools in this state. 

Sec. 51.854.  CRITERIA IN SELECTING PROGRAMS.  Requires the board, in
selecting which programs may be provided with money from the funds, to give
priority to programs addressing the needs of public school students whose
economic conditions limit their availability of athletic facilities,
programs, and opportunities.  Requires the board to consider other relevant
factors, including whether the program promotes gender equity, includes the
participation of collegiate-level coaches and athletes, and has a history
of increasing athletic opportunities. 

SECTION 2.  Requires the board to conduct a best practices study of women's
athletic development programs currently operating at institutions of higher
education in Texas and other states.  Requires the board to make its
findings and recommendations available in a report to the legislature and
to institutions of higher education.  Requires the report to include an
analysis of the effect of the programs studied under this section on
student enrollment in institutions of higher education and performance.
Provides this report is due by December 1, 2000. 

SECTION 3.  Effective date:  September 1, 1999.

SECTION 4.  Emergency clause.