HBA-LJP C.S.H.B. 1685 77(R) BILL ANALYSIS Office of House Bill AnalysisC.S.H.B. 1685 By: Rangel Higher Education 4/8/2001 Committee Report (Substituted) BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Under current law, there are no guidelines for the formation of partnerships or affiliations between a general academic teaching institution or a medical or dental unit and other entities to offer or conduct courses for academic credit or to offer a degree program. C.S.H.B. 1685 establishes guidelines and requires the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board to approve any proposed partnerships or affiliations between a general academic teaching institution or a medical or dental unit and other entities. 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 C.S.H.B. 1685 amends the Education Code to authorize a general academic teaching institution or medical and dental unit to establish a partnership or affiliation with another entity to offer or conduct courses for academic credit or to offer or operate a degree program if the governing board determines that the partnership or affiliation is consistent with the role and mission of the institution and the partnership or affiliation is approved by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. EFFECTIVE DATE On passage, or if the Act does not receive the necessary vote, the Act takes effect September 1, 2001. COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL TO SUBSTITUTE C.S.H.B. 1685 modifies the original to remove the requirement of the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) to review a proposed partnership or affiliation using the prescribed standards and to submit to the legislature a written recommendation regarding the establishment of the partnership or affiliation. The substitute requires that the partnership or affiliation be approved by THECB rather than by an act of the legislature. The substitute authorizes a general academic teaching institution or medical and dental unit to establish a partnership or affiliation with another entity under certain conditions, rather than prohibit the establishment of these partnerships or affiliations unless the establishment is under certain conditions.