Highlights 77th Texas Legislature - Senate

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EDUCATION/Higher
77 th Texas Legislature
new jobs created since 1990. There are 772,000 high-tech employees in Texas, approximately 11 percent
of the state's workforce.
Creates two new funds, the Texas Excellence Fund (TEF) and University Research Fund (URF) to promote
research and provide excellence funds for certain comprehensive research universities.
Authorizes a portion of the annual $50 million deposit from General Revenue to the Permanent Higher
Education Fund (PHEF) to instead be deposited into the TEF. The portion is an amount equal to the
portion of the total return on investment assets of the higher education fund in the preceding state fiscal
year computed by multiplying that total return by the percentage of the total return on all investment assets
of the permanent fund for tobacco education and enforcement that constitutes available earnings as
determined by the comptroller.
Requires the legislature in each fiscal year to appropriate or provide an amount into the URF equal to the
amount deposited in the TEF in that fiscal year.
Authorizes the legislature to appropriate or provide for the transfer of any available money to the credit of
the TEF and requires the comptroller to distribute all assets in the university research fund as soon as
practicable to eligible institutions.
Authorizes an institution to use money appropriated from the TEF or the URF only for the support and
maintenance of educational and general activities that promote increased research capacity and develop
institutional excellence
Directs the formation of a committee to conduct a study to: examine the feasibility of creating a single
research enhancement fund to provide funding for institutions of higher education that have a proven
research history; examine how institutions have historically utilized "excellence funds"; and consider
whether a portion of the annual distribution from the permanent university fund to the available university
fund appropriated to The University of Texas System under Section 18(f), Article VII, Texas Constitution,
should be appropriated or made available for appropriation for the support and maintenance of institutions
of higher education in The University of Texas System other than The University of Texas at Austin.
Loan Repayment Assistance for Public Service Attorneys - H.B. 2323
by Representative Gallego
Senate Sponsor: Senator Shapleigh
Attorneys working in nonprofit organizations that provide free representation to indigent clients and
attorneys working in rural county or district attorney’s offices need help repaying law school loans.
Authorizes the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board to assist those attorneys who apply to repay
tuition loans from money donated for the purpose.
Establishes eligibility, application process, amount and time limitations, and employment requirements to
qualify.
Senate Research Center 87