| Vote Recommendation | Economic Freedom | Property Rights | Personal Responsibility | Limited Government | Individual Liberty |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vote No; Amend | Neutral | Neutral | Neutral | Negative | Negative |
Relating to the requirements for a junior college district to
receive approval from the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board
to offer baccalaureate degree programs.
No fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.
HB 885 would exempt a nursing degree program of a junior college in a county that does not have a four-year institution in the same county from the requirement that a junior college district must have a taxable property valuation of at least $4 billion in order to offer a baccalaureate degree program.
Texas Action is opposed to HB 885 on the principles of limited government and individual liberty. While the taxable property valuation requirement for allowing a junior college to offer a baccalaureate degree program is somewhat arbitrary, exempting only certain institutions from this requirement offers an unfair advantage against other institutions which do not meet the requirement. If the existing criteria qualifying a junior college to offer a baccalaureate program is unfit for one institution, it is unfit for any similarly situated institution. We recommend legislators oppose HB 885 unless amended to apply to all junior college districts.