| 1 | 1 | | 81R9079 KJM-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Shapleigh S.B. No. 1523 |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | |
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| 5 | 5 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 6 | 6 | | AN ACT |
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| 7 | 7 | | relating to requiring satisfactory completion of a course in the |
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| 8 | 8 | | Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building |
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| 9 | 9 | | Rating System as a requisite for a degree in architecture at certain |
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| 10 | 10 | | public institutions of higher education. |
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| 11 | 11 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 12 | 12 | | SECTION 1. Subchapter F, Chapter 51, Education Code, is |
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| 13 | 13 | | amended by adding Section 51.311 to read as follows: |
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| 14 | 14 | | Sec. 51.311. LEADERSHIP IN ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL DESIGN |
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| 15 | 15 | | (LEED) COURSE REQUIRED. (a) An institution of higher education, as |
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| 16 | 16 | | defined by Section 61.003, that offers a degree program in |
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| 17 | 17 | | architecture: |
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| 18 | 18 | | (1) shall provide a course in the United States Green |
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| 19 | 19 | | Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design |
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| 20 | 20 | | (LEED) Green Building Rating System as part of the degree program in |
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| 21 | 21 | | architecture; and |
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| 22 | 22 | | (2) may not award a degree in architecture to a student |
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| 23 | 23 | | who does not satisfactorily complete the course or an equivalent |
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| 24 | 24 | | course at another institution. |
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| 25 | 25 | | (b) A course provided under this section may focus on |
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| 26 | 26 | | preparing a student to earn the Leadership in Energy and |
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| 27 | 27 | | Environmental Design (LEED) Accredited Professional credential. |
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| 28 | 28 | | (c) This section does not apply to requirements for a degree |
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| 29 | 29 | | program in architecture for a student who entered the degree |
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| 30 | 30 | | program at an institution of higher education before the 2010 fall |
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| 31 | 31 | | semester. This subsection expires January 1, 2016. |
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| 32 | 32 | | SECTION 2. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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| 33 | 33 | | a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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| 34 | 34 | | provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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| 35 | 35 | | Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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| 36 | 36 | | Act takes effect September 1, 2009. |
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