COORDINATION WITH INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDUCATION.

(a) An institution of higher education shall coordinate its use of information technologies with other such institutions to more effectively provide education, research, and community service.

(b) The Information Technology Council for Higher Education consists of the chief information officer or equivalent employee of:

(1) The Texas A&M University System;

(2) The University of Texas System;

(3) The Texas State University System;

(4) The University of North Texas System;

(5) The University of Houston System;

(6) The Texas Tech University System; and

(7) one institution of higher education, other than a public junior college, not included in a university system listed in this subsection who is selected by a majority of the chief executive officers of all the institutions of higher education, other than public junior colleges, not included in a listed university system.

(c) Before adopting a proposed rule that applies to institutions of higher education, the department shall prepare, in consultation with the council established by Subsection (b), an analysis of the impact of the rule on institutions of higher education that includes consideration of:

(1) the impact of the rule on the mission of higher education, student populations, and federal grant requirements;

(2) alternate methods of implementation to achieve the purpose of the rule; and

(3) exempting institutions of higher education from all or part of the requirements of the rule.

(d) The department shall include its analysis as part of the notice of the proposed rule that the agency files with the secretary of state for publication in the Texas Register and shall provide copies to the governor, the lieutenant governor, and the speaker of the house of representatives.

(e) Each department rule that applies to institutions of higher education and that is in effect on September 1, 2003, ceases to apply to institutions of higher education on September 1, 2004, unless readopted by the department on or after September 1, 2003, in a form that expressly applies to institutions of higher education.