Bill Text: TX HB1256 | 2015-2016 | 84th Legislature | Introduced

NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft

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Bill Title: Relating to the selection process for student members of the board of regents of a state university or state university system.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 2-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2015-05-11 - Laid on the table subject to call [HB1256 Detail]

Download: Texas-2015-HB1256-Introduced.html

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84R8138 KSD-D
By: Sheffield H.B. No. 1256

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to student members of the board of regents of a state
university or state university system.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Sections 51.355(c), (d), and (d-1), Education
Code, are amended to read as follows:
(c) Except as provided by Subsection (f), not later than
November 1 of each year, the student government of each general
academic teaching institution and medical and dental unit in a
university system shall solicit applicants for appointment to the
next regular term of the position of student regent. Not later than
January 1, from among the applications received by the student
government, the student government shall select five applicants as
the student government's recommendations for the position of
student regent and send the applications of those applicants to the
chancellor of the university system. From among those applicants,
the chancellor shall select two or more applicants as the
university system's recommendations for the position of student
regent and shall send the applications of those applicants to the
governor not later than February 1. The governor may request to
review all applications for the position of student regent received
by the student governments and may request an applicant to submit
additional information to the governor. On June 1, or as soon
thereafter as practicable, the governor shall appoint one of the
applicants to serve as the student regent for the system for a
one-year term expiring on the next May 31. The governor is not
required to appoint an applicant recommended by the chancellor, but
may not appoint a student regent who did not submit an application
to the student government of a general academic teaching
institution or medical and dental unit in the system as described by
this subsection.
(d) To be eligible for appointment as student regent, a
person must be enrolled as an undergraduate or graduate student in a
general academic teaching institution or medical and dental unit in
the university system, have been enrolled in the institution in the
two semesters preceding the term for which the person is appointed,
and be in good academic and disciplinary standing, as determined by
the institution, at the time of appointment and during the two
semesters preceding the term for which the person is
appointed. The person must remain enrolled at the institution
throughout the person's term as a student regent. For purposes of
this subsection, a person is considered to be enrolled in an
institution or unit for a summer term if the person was enrolled in
the institution or unit for the preceding semester and:
(1) is registered or preregistered at the institution
or unit for the following fall semester;
(2) if the person has not completed the person's degree
program, is eligible to continue the degree program at the
institution or unit in the following fall semester; or
(3) if the person completed a degree program in the
preceding semester, is admitted to another degree program at the
institution or unit for the following fall semester.
(d-1) Throughout a student regent's term, the student
regent must maintain a grade point average of at least 3.0 [2.5] on
a four-point scale on all coursework previously attempted at the
institution and on all coursework previously attempted at any
public or private institutions of higher education and remain in
good academic and disciplinary standing with the institution, as
determined by the institution. The president of the institution in
which the student regent is enrolled shall notify the governor if
the student regent fails to maintain the qualifications required by
this section.
SECTION 2. Sections 51.356(d), (e), and (e-1), Education
Code, are amended to read as follows:
(d) Not later than November 1 of each year, the student
government of the general academic teaching institution shall
solicit applicants for appointment to the next regular term of the
position of student regent. Not later than January 1, from among
the applications received by the student government, the student
government shall select five applicants as the student government's
recommendations for the position of student regent and send the
applications of those applicants to the president of the
institution. From among those applicants, the president shall
select two or more applicants as the institution's recommendations
for the position of student regent and shall send the applications
of those applicants to the governor not later than February 1. The
governor may request to review all applications for the position of
student regent received by the student government and may request
an applicant to submit additional information to the governor. On
June 1, or as soon thereafter as practicable, the governor shall
appoint one of the applicants to serve as the student regent for the
institution for a one-year term expiring on the next May 31. The
governor is not required to appoint an applicant recommended by the
president, but may not appoint a student regent who did not submit
an application to the student government of the institution as
described by this subsection.
(e) To be eligible for appointment as student regent, a
person must be enrolled as an undergraduate or graduate student in
the general academic teaching institution, have been enrolled in
the institution in the two semesters preceding the term for which
the person is appointed, and be in good academic and disciplinary
standing, as determined by the institution, at the time of
appointment and during the two semesters preceding the term for
which the person is appointed. The person must remain enrolled at
the institution throughout the person's term as a student
regent. For purposes of this subsection, a person is considered to
be enrolled in an institution for a summer term if the person was
enrolled in the institution for the preceding semester and:
(1) is registered or preregistered at the institution
for the following fall semester;
(2) if the person has not completed the person's degree
program, is eligible to continue the degree program at the
institution in the following fall semester; or
(3) if the person completed a degree program in the
preceding semester, is admitted to another degree program at the
institution for the following fall semester.
(e-1) Throughout a student regent's term, the student
regent must maintain a grade point average of at least 3.0 [2.5] on
a four-point scale on all coursework previously attempted at the
institution and on all coursework previously attempted at any
public or private institutions of higher education and remain in
good academic and disciplinary standing with the institution, as
determined by the institution. The president of the institution in
which the student regent is enrolled shall notify the governor if
the student regent fails to maintain the qualifications required by
this section.
SECTION 3. Sections 51.355(c) and 51.356(d), Education
Code, as amended by this Act, are intended only to clarify existing
law with respect to the appointment of student members of the board
of regents of a state university or state university system.
SECTION 4. The changes in law made by this Act to Sections
51.355(d) and (d-1) and 51.356(e) and (e-1), Education Code, apply
only to a student regent appointed to the board of regents of a
state university system or a state university on or after the
effective date of this Act.
SECTION 5. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
Act takes effect September 1, 2015.