Bill Caption

Relating to authorizing the issuance of revenue bonds to fund capital projects at public institutions of higher education.

Fiscal Notes

Estimated Two-year Net Impact to General Revenue Related Funds for HB100, Committee Report 1st House, Substituted: a negative impact of ($540,304,444) through the biennium ending August 31, 2017.

No significant fiscal implication to local government.

Bill Analysis

05/18/2015 We still oppose HB 100 in the second chamber. The Senate sponsor is Senator Seliger.

HB 100 would allow the board of regents to issue capital bonds for projects at universities, such as Texas A&M University, University of Texas at Austin, and the University of Houston.  The bill amends Education Code to provide additional bond authority for specified projects at the respective institutions.

Vote Recommendation Notes

This bill would abridge the principle of limited government, therefore we oppose this legislation. Our principle of limited government can be affected by an increase or decrease in spending.  This is a significant increase in spending for higher education and there is no compelling reason for the increase.  Increasing entitlements to schools does not guarantee better performance or quality of education.  With increasing student debt and the diminishing value of a college degree, there should be a legitimate purpose for spending more money on higher education institutions. This bill does not show that there is one.