Relating to selection committees for presidents of regents institutions

Under current law, the state board of regents may use a presidential selection committee when electing a president of an institution of higher learning under the control of the board. Only board members can serve as voting members of the committee. This bill requires the board to use such a committee and specifies committee membership. The committee must recommend the most well-qualified candidates considered by the committee to the board, which shall only elect a president from the recommended candidates. The bill authorizes a committee to contract for and use the services of any person engaged in the business of placing highly qualified job candidates in leadership positions and to use moneys allocated to the committee by the board. The bill provides that the identity of a candidate being considered by the committee shall be confidential for purposes of Code chapter (open records) and shall not be subject to public disclosure unless the identity of the candidate is made public by agreement of all voting members of the committee.