HBA-PDH S.B. 1326 76(R)    BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisS.B. 1326
By: Gallegos
Higher Education
4/23/1999
Engrossed



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

The University of Houston's College of Optometry (college) is one of only
nine public optometry colleges and boasts the highest enrollment.  In 1999,
the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (board) conducted a study
that revealed that student-to-faculty ratios at the college were high,
while faculty salaries, tuition, and related fees were comparatively low.
An increase in tuition for this college would give the college a larger
operating budget to increase faculty salaries to a more competitive level
and allow the college to start reducing the student-to-faculty ratio.
Current law provides that tuition for the college may be three times the
prescribed undergraduate rate of tuition. S.B. 1326 authorizes the
University of Houston to increase tuition for the optometry program to four
times that rate. 

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 54.008(e), Education Code, to require the
governing board of an institution of higher education to set tuition for an
optometry program at the institution at a rate that is at least equal to
that prescribed by Subchapter B (Tuition Rates), Chapter 54 (Tuition and
Fees), Education Code, but not more than four, rather than three, times the
rate prescribed by that subchapter. 

SECTION 2.Emergency clause.
  Effective date: upon passage.