Texas 2009 - 81st Regular

Texas House Bill HB59 Compare Versions

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Old	New	Differences
1	1	81R12831 KSD-F
2	2	By: Branch, Anchia, Giddings, Oliveira, H.B. No. 59
3	3	Crownover, et al.
4	4	Substitute the following for H.B. No. 59:
5	5	By: Branch C.S.H.B. No. 59
6	6
7	7
8	8	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
9	9	AN ACT
10	10	relating to the establishment of a law school in the city of Dallas
11	11	by the University of North Texas System.
12	12	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
13	13	SECTION 1. Section 105.001, Education Code, is amended to
14	14	read as follows:
15	15	Sec. 105.001. UNIVERSITY OF NORTH TEXAS SYSTEM. The
16	16	University of North Texas System is composed of:
17	17	(1) the University of North Texas;
18	18	(2) the University of North Texas Health Science
19	19	Center at Fort Worth; [and]
20	20	(3) the University of North Texas at Dallas; and
21	21	(4) the University of North Texas College of Law.
22	22	SECTION 2. Section 105.151, Education Code, is amended by
23	23	adding Subsection (c-1) and amending Subsection (d) to read as
24	24	follows:
25	25	(c-1) Venue for a suit filed solely against the University
26	26	of North Texas College of Law or against officers or employees of
27	27	the University of North Texas College of Law is in Dallas County.
28	28	(d) In case of a conflict between Subsection (a), (b), [or]
29	29	(c), or (c-1) and any other law, Subsection (a), (b), [or] (c), or
30	30	(c-1) controls.
31	31	SECTION 3. Subchapter J, Chapter 105, Education Code, is
32	32	amended by adding Section 105.502 to read as follows:
33	33	Sec. 105.502. UNIVERSITY OF NORTH TEXAS SYSTEM COLLEGE OF
34	34	LAW. (a) The board may establish and operate a school of law in
35	35	the city of Dallas as a professional school of the University of
36	36	North Texas System.
37	37	(b) In administering the law school, the board may prescribe
38	38	courses leading to customary degrees offered at other leading
39	39	American schools of law and may award those degrees.
40	40	(c) Until the University of North Texas at Dallas has been
41	41	administered as a general academic teaching institution for five
42	42	years, the board shall administer the law school as a professional
43	43	school of the system. After that period, the law school shall
44	44	become a professional school of the University of North Texas at
45	45	Dallas. Until the law school becomes a professional school of the
46	46	University of North Texas at Dallas, the law school:
47	47	(1) is considered an institution of higher education
48	48	under Section 61.003 for all purposes under other law; and
49	49	(2) is entitled to formula funding as if the law school
50	50	were a professional school of a general academic teaching
51	51	institution.
52	52	(d) Before the board establishes a law school under this
53	53	section, but not later than June 1, 2010, the Texas Higher Education
54	54	Coordinating Board shall prepare a feasibility study to determine
55	55	the actions the system must take to obtain accreditation of the law
56	56	school. The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board shall
57	57	deliver a copy of the study to the chair of each legislative
58	58	standing committee or subcommittee with jurisdiction over higher
59	59	education.
60	60	SECTION 4. Subchapter B, Chapter 55, Education Code, is
61	61	amended by adding Section 55.1775 to read as follows:
62	62	Sec. 55.1775. UNIVERSITY OF NORTH TEXAS SYSTEM; ADDITIONAL
63	63	BONDS. (a) In addition to the other authority granted by this
64	64	subchapter, the board of regents of the University of North Texas
65	65	System may acquire, purchase, construct, improve, renovate,
66	66	enlarge, or equip property, buildings, structures, or other
67	67	facilities, including roads and related infrastructure, for the law
68	68	school established in the city of Dallas by the University of North
69	69	Texas System, to be financed by the issuance of bonds in accordance
70	70	with this subchapter, including bonds issued in accordance with a
71	71	systemwide revenue financing program and secured as provided by
72	72	that program, in an aggregate principal amount not to exceed $40
73	73	million.
74	74	(b) The board of regents may pledge irrevocably to the
75	75	payment of the bonds authorized by this section all or any part of
76	76	the revenue funds of an institution, branch, or entity of the
77	77	University of North Texas System, including student tuition
78	78	charges. The amount of a pledge made under this subsection may not
79	79	be reduced or abrogated while the bonds for which the pledge is
80	80	made, or bonds issued to refund those bonds, are outstanding.
81	81	(c) If sufficient funds are not available to the board of
82	82	regents to meet its obligations under this section, the board may
83	83	transfer funds among institutions, branches, and entities of the
84	84	University of North Texas System to ensure the most equitable and
85	85	efficient allocation of available resources for each institution,
86	86	branch, or entity to carry out its duties and purposes.
87	87	SECTION 5. If this Act receives a vote of at least
88	88	two-thirds of the membership of each house of the legislature, the
89	89	University of North Texas College of Law created under Section
90	90	105.502, Education Code, as added by this Act, is entitled to
91	91	participate in the funding provided by Section 17, Article VII,
92	92	Texas Constitution.
93	93	SECTION 6. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
94	94	a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
95	95	provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
96	96	Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
97	97	Act takes effect September 1, 2009.