81R152 TAD-D
By: Branch H.B. No. 59
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to the establishment of a law school in the city of Dallas
by the University of North Texas System.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Subchapter J, Chapter 105, Education Code, is
amended by adding Section 105.502 to read as follows:
Sec. 105.502. UNIVERSITY OF NORTH TEXAS SYSTEM SCHOOL OF
LAW. (a) The board may establish and operate a school of law in
the city of Dallas as a professional school of the University of
North Texas System.
(b) In administering the law school, the board may prescribe
courses leading to customary degrees offered at other leading
American schools of law and may award those degrees.
(c) Until the University of North Texas at Dallas has been
administered as a general academic teaching institution for five
years, the board shall administer the law school as a professional
school of the system. After that period, the law school shall
become a professional school of the University of North Texas at
Dallas. Until the law school becomes a professional school of the
University of North Texas at Dallas, the law school is entitled to
formula funding as if the law school were a professional school of a
general academic teaching institution.
(d) Before the board establishes a law school under this
section, but not later than June 1, 2010, the Texas Higher Education
Coordinating Board shall prepare a feasibility study to determine
the actions the system must take to obtain accreditation of the law
school. The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board shall
deliver a copy of the study to the chair of each legislative
standing committee or subcommittee with jurisdiction over higher
education.
SECTION 2. Subchapter B, Chapter 55, Education Code, is
amended by adding Section 55.1775 to read as follows:
Sec. 55.1775. UNIVERSITY OF NORTH TEXAS SYSTEM; ADDITIONAL
BONDS. (a) In addition to the other authority granted by this
subchapter, the board of regents of the University of North Texas
System may acquire, purchase, construct, improve, renovate,
enlarge, or equip property, buildings, structures, or other
facilities, including roads and related infrastructure, for the law
school established in the city of Dallas by the University of North
Texas System, to be financed by the issuance of bonds in accordance
with this subchapter, including bonds issued in accordance with a
systemwide revenue financing program and secured as provided by
that program, in an aggregate principal amount not to exceed $30
million.
(b) The board of regents may pledge irrevocably to the
payment of the bonds authorized by this section all or any part of
the revenue funds of an institution, branch, or entity of the
University of North Texas System, including student tuition
charges. The amount of a pledge made under this subsection may not
be reduced or abrogated while the bonds for which the pledge is
made, or bonds issued to refund those bonds, are outstanding.
(c) If sufficient funds are not available to the board of
regents to meet its obligations under this section, the board may
transfer funds among institutions, branches, and entities of the
University of North Texas System to ensure the most equitable and
efficient allocation of available resources for each institution,
branch, or entity to carry out its duties and purposes.
(d) Notwithstanding Subsection (a), the University of North
Texas System may not issue bonds under this section for facilities
at the law school established by the system until the date that the
law school receives provisional or other appropriate accreditation
by a recognized accrediting agency, as defined by Section 61.003.
If the law school does not receive the provisional or other
appropriate accreditation by January 1, 2012, the system's
authority to issue bonds for the law school under this section
expires on that date.
SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
Act takes effect September 1, 2009.