amendments to title xii of the higher education act of 1965

amendments to title xii of the higher education act of 1965 Sec. 196. Title XII of the Higher Education Act of 1965 is amended by adding after section 1201 the following two new sections: “state postsecondary education commissions “Sec. 1202. (a) Any State which desires to receive assistance under section 1203 or title X shall establish a State Commission or designate an existing State agency or State Commission (to be known as the State Commission) which is broadly and equitably representative of the general public and public and private nonprofit and proprietary institutions of postsecondary education in the State including community colleges (as defined in title X), junior colleges, postsecondary vocational schools, area vocational schools, technical institutes, four-year institutions of higher education and branches thereof. “(b) Such State Commission may establish committees or task forces, not necessarily consisting of Commission members, and utilize existing agencies or organizations, to make studies, conduct surveys, submit recommendations, or otherwise contribute the best available expertise from the institutions, interest groups, and segments of the society most concerned with a particular aspect of the Commission’s work. “(c) (1) At any time after July 1, 1973, a State may designate the State Commission established under subsection (a) as the State agency or institution required under section 105, 603, or 704. In such a case, the State Commission established under this section shall be deemed to meet the requirements of such sections for State agencies or institutions. “(2) If a State makes a designation referred to in paragraph (1)— “(A) the Commissioner shall pay the State Commission the amount necessary for the proper and efficient administration of the Commission of the functions transferred to it by reason of the designation; and “(B) the State Commission shall be considered the successor agency to the State agency or institution with respect to which the designation is made, and action theretofore taken by the State agency or institution shall continue to be effective until changed by the State Commission. “(d) Any State which desires to receive assistance under title VI or under title VII but which does not desire, after June 30, 1973, to place the functions of State Commissions under such titles under the authority of the State Commission established pursuant to subsection (a) shall establish for the purposes of such titles a State Commission which is broadly representative of the public and of institutions of higher education (including junior colleges and technical institutes) in the State. Such State Commissions shall have the sole responsibility for the administration of State plans under such titles VI and VII within such State. 86 Stat. 325 “comprehensive statewide planning “Sec. 1203. (a) The Commissioner is authorized to make grants to any State Commission established pursuant to section 1202(a) to enable it to expand the scope of the studies and planning required in title X through comprehensive inventories of, and studies with respect to, all public and private postsecondary educational resources in the State, including planning necessary for such resources to be better coordinated, improved, expanded, or altered so that all persons within the State who desire, and who can benefit from, postsecondary education may have an opportunity to do so. “(b) The Commissioner shall make technical assistance available to State Commissions, if so requested, to assist them in achieving the purposes of this section. “(c) There are authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be necessary to carry out this section.”.