Senate Committee on Higher Education

Committee Leadership

Chair

Paul Bettencourt (R)

Senate District 7

Houston

Vice Chair

Brent Hagenbuch (R)

Senate District 30

Denton

Committee Composition

Committee Membership

Bettencourt, Paul (R) Senate District 7 Houston Hagenbuch, Brent (R) Senate District 30 Denton Alvarado, Carol (D) Senate District 6 Houston King, Phil (R) Senate District 10 Weatherford Parker, Tan (R) Senate District 12 Flower Mound Paxton, Angela (R) Senate District 8 McKinney West, Royce (D) Senate District 23 Dallas

Interim Charges

• Public Junior College State Finance Program: Review the implementation of the community college funding model. Make recommendations for any structural changes to the model, while continuing to ensure a dynamic structure that aligns student outcomes with workforce preparation and demands.
• Funding the Permanent University Fund and the Texas University Fund: Review the distribution methodology for the Permanent University Fund and the Texas University Fund. Analyze the allocation structure and uses for the Permanent University Fund for the University of Texas and Texas A&M University Systems, with particular focus on how the fund is allocated between the flagship campuses and other system institutions. Explore the implementation and distribution of the Texas University Fund, as new institutions gain eligibility and the fund’s corpus grows, ensuring stability and predictability for all participating institutions. Make recommendations for any needed reforms.
• Monitoring: Monitor the implementation of legislation addressed by the Senate Committee on Education K-16 passed by the 89th Legislature, as well as relevant agencies and programs under the committee’s jurisdiction. Specifically, make recommendations for any legislation needed to improve, enhance, or complete implementation of the following:
  • Senate Bill 37 (89th Legislature), relating to the governance of public institutions of higher education, including review of curriculum and certain degree and certificate programs, a faculty council or senate, training for members of the governing board, and the establishment, powers, and duties of the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board Office of the Ombudsman; and
  • House Bill 127 (89th Legislature), relating to measures to protect institutions of higher education from foreign adversaries and to the prosecution of the criminal offense of theft of trade secrets; increasing a criminal penalty.