EDUCATION RESEARCH CENTER ADVISORY BOARD.

(a) The commissioner of higher education shall create, chair, and maintain an advisory board for the purpose of reviewing study or evaluation proposals and ensuring appropriate data use under Section 1.005, including compliance with applicable state and federal laws governing use of and access to the data.

(b) The advisory board is considered to be a governmental body for purposes of Chapters 551 and 552, Government Code.

(c) The membership of the advisory board must include:

(1) a representative of the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, designated by the commissioner of higher education;

(2) a representative of the Texas Education Agency, designated by the commissioner of education;

(3) a representative of the Texas Workforce Commission, designated by the commission;

(4) the director of each education research center or the director's designee; and

(5) a representative of preschool, elementary, or secondary education.

(d) Each study or evaluation conducted at a center under Section 1.005 must be approved in advance by majority vote of the advisory board. A center may submit to the advisory board a proposal developed by any qualified researcher, including a researcher from another educational institution, a graduate student, a P-16 Council representative, or another researcher proposing research to benefit education in this state. In determining whether to approve a proposed study or evaluation, the advisory board must:

(1) consider the potential of the proposed research to benefit education in this state;

(2) require each center director or designee to review and approve the proposed research design and methods to be used in the proposed study or evaluation; and

(3) consider the extent to which the data required to complete the proposed study or evaluation is not readily available from other data sources.

(e) The advisory board shall meet at least quarterly. To the extent and in the manner authorized by Chapter 551, Government Code, any meeting of the advisory board may be conducted by electronic means, including a meeting by telephone conference call, by video conference call, through the Internet, or by any combination of those means.

(f) The advisory board may create committees and subcommittees that the advisory board determines are convenient or necessary.