HBA-SEP, JLV H.B. 1753 77(R)    BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 1753
By: Gutierrez
Higher Education
3/5/2001
Introduced



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

Teacher preparation and production is important to growing rural areas and
may be facilitated by improving access to education. Currently, South Texas
Community College (STCC) is the only institution of higher education
located in Starr County, and the nearest four-year institution, The
University of Texas-Pan American (UTPA), is approximately 60 miles away.
House Bill 1753 authorizes UTPA to enter into a partnership with the STCC
district (district), providing for the district to offer the lower-division
courses required for students enrolled in a teacher preparation program at
the university.   

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. 

ANALYSIS

House Bill 1753 amends the Education Code to authorize The University of
Texas-Pan American to enter into a partnership agreement with  the South
Texas Community College District (district), providing for the district to
offer the lower-division courses required for students enrolled in a
teacher preparation program at the university.  The bill does not require a
student enrolled in a teacher preparation program at the university to
enroll as a student of the district to register for a lower-division course
offered under the agreement.  

 The bill requires the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board to prepare
an impact statement examining the initial implementation of these
provisions and to deliver a copy of the statement to the board of regents
of The University of Texas System, to the board of trustees of the South
Texas Community College District, and to the chair of the standing
committee of each house of the legislature with primary jurisdiction over
higher education. 

EFFECTIVE DATE

On passage, or if the Act does not receive the necessary vote, the Act
takes effect September 1, 2001.