Bill Text: TX SB1756 | 2019-2020 | 86th Legislature | Introduced

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Bill Title: Relating to the reporting of allegations of fraud, waste, abuse, or other malfeasance in the use of public resources by public and private institutions of higher education for the purpose of compliance monitoring by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2019-03-14 - Referred to Higher Education [SB1756 Detail]

Download: Texas-2019-SB1756-Introduced.html

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86R14254 KEL-F
By: Creighton S.B. No. 1756

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to the reporting of allegations of fraud, waste, abuse, or
other malfeasance in the use of public resources by public and
private institutions of higher education for the purpose of
compliance monitoring by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating
Board.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Section 61.035, Education Code, is amended by
amending Subsection (h) and adding Subsections (h-1), (h-2), and
(h-3) to read as follows:
(h) In conducting the compliance monitoring function under
this section, the board may partner with internal audit offices at
institutions of higher education and private or independent
institutions of higher education, as institutional resources
allow, to examine the institutions' use of funds allocated by, and
data reported to, the board.
(h-1) To avoid duplication of effort and assist the board in
identifying risk:
(1) [,] an internal auditor at an institution shall
notify the board of any audits conducted by the auditor involving
funds administered by the board or data reported to the board; and
(2) the state auditor shall notify the board of the
receipt of any allegation of fraud, waste, abuse, or other
malfeasance or improper practice relating to the use, expenditure,
or management of public funds or other public resources by an
institution of higher education or a private or independent
institution of higher education and shall provide to the board a
copy of the allegation and any final report regarding the
allegation.
(h-2) The board by rule may prescribe the timing and format
of the notifications [notification] required by Subsection (h-1)
[this subsection].
(h-3) The board by rule shall require a private or
independent institution of higher education to provide to the board
the institution's external audit involving funds administered by
the board. The private or independent institution of higher
education's external audit must comply with the board's rules for
auditing those funds.
SECTION 2. 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, 2019.