Texas 2009 - 81st Regular

Texas Senate Bill SB956 Compare Versions

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1	1	S.B. No. 956
2	2
3	3
4	4	AN ACT
5	5	relating to the establishment of a law school in the city of Dallas
6	6	by the University of North Texas System.
7	7	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
8	8	SECTION 1. Section 105.001, Education Code, is amended to
9	9	read as follows:
10	10	Sec. 105.001. UNIVERSITY OF NORTH TEXAS SYSTEM. The
11	11	University of North Texas System is composed of:
12	12	(1) the University of North Texas;
13	13	(2) the University of North Texas Health Science
14	14	Center at Fort Worth; [and]
15	15	(3) the University of North Texas at Dallas; and
16	16	(4) the University of North Texas at Dallas College of
17	17	Law.
18	18	SECTION 2. Section 105.151, Education Code, is amended by
19	19	adding Subsection (c-1) and amending Subsection (d) to read as
20	20	follows:
21	21	(c-1) Venue for a suit filed solely against the University
22	22	of North Texas at Dallas College of Law or against officers or
23	23	employees of the University of North Texas at Dallas College of Law
24	24	is in Dallas County.
25	25	(d) In case of a conflict between Subsection (a), (b), [or]
26	26	(c), or (c-1) and any other law, Subsection (a), (b), [or] (c), or
27	27	(c-1) controls.
28	28	SECTION 3. Subchapter J, Chapter 105, Education Code, is
29	29	amended by adding Section 105.502 to read as follows:
30	30	Sec. 105.502. UNIVERSITY OF NORTH TEXAS SYSTEM COLLEGE OF
31	31	LAW. (a) The board may establish and operate a school of law in
32	32	the city of Dallas as a professional school of the University of
33	33	North Texas System.
34	34	(b) In administering the law school, the board may prescribe
35	35	courses leading to customary degrees offered at other leading
36	36	American schools of law and may award those degrees.
37	37	(c) Until the University of North Texas at Dallas has been
38	38	administered as a general academic teaching institution for five
39	39	years, the board shall administer the law school as a professional
40	40	school of the system. After that period, the law school shall
41	41	become a professional school of the University of North Texas at
42	42	Dallas. Until the law school becomes a professional school of the
43	43	University of North Texas at Dallas, the law school:
44	44	(1) is considered an institution of higher education
45	45	under Section 61.003 for all purposes under other law; and
46	46	(2) is entitled to formula funding as if the law school
47	47	were a professional school of a general academic teaching
48	48	institution.
49	49	(d) Before the board establishes a law school under this
50	50	section, but not later than June 1, 2010, the Texas Higher Education
51	51	Coordinating Board shall prepare a feasibility study to determine
52	52	the actions the system must take to obtain accreditation of the law
53	53	school. The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board shall
54	54	deliver a copy of the study to the chair of each legislative
55	55	standing committee or subcommittee with jurisdiction over higher
56	56	education.
57	57	(e) The board may solicit and accept gifts, grants, and
58	58	donations from any public or private source for the purposes of this
59	59	section.
60	60	SECTION 4. Subchapter C, Chapter 61, Education Code, is
61	61	amended by adding Section 61.0665 to read as follows:
62	62	Sec. 61.0665. STUDY REGARDING ESTABLISHMENT OF LAW SCHOOLS.
63	63	(a) The board shall conduct a study to examine the need for and
64	64	feasibility of establishing a public law school in areas of the
65	65	state where a law school is not located, including the Texas-Mexico
66	66	border region. The study shall be conducted using the same criteria
67	67	used for determining the need for and feasibility of establishing
68	68	the University of North Texas at Dallas College of Law.
69	69	(b) Not later than November 1, 2010, the board shall report
70	70	the results of the study required by Subsection (a) to the governor,
71	71	lieutenant governor, speaker of the house of representatives, and
72	72	presiding officer of each legislative standing committee with
73	73	primary jurisdiction over higher education.
74	74	(c) This section expires January 31, 2011.
75	75	SECTION 5. If this Act receives a vote of at least
76	76	two-thirds of the membership of each house of the legislature, the
77	77	University of North Texas at Dallas College of Law created under
78	78	Section 105.502, Education Code, as added by this Act, is entitled
79	79	to participate in the funding provided by Section 17, Article VII,
80	80	Texas Constitution.
81	81	SECTION 6. This Act does not make an appropriation. This
82	82	Act takes effect only if a specific appropriation for the
83	83	implementation of the Act is provided in a general appropriations
84	84	act of the 81st Legislature.
85	85	SECTION 7. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
86	86	a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
87	87	provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
88	88	Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
89	89	Act takes effect September 1, 2009.
90	90	______________________________ ______________________________
91	91	President of the Senate Speaker of the House
92	92	I hereby certify that S.B. No. 956 passed the Senate on
93	93	April 15, 2009, by the following vote: Yeas 29, Nays 1;
94	94	May 18, 2009, Senate refused to concur in House amendments and
95	95	requested appointment of Conference Committee; May 25, 2009, House
96	96	granted request of the Senate; May 31, 2009, Senate adopted
97	97	Conference Committee Report by the following vote: Yeas 30,
98	98	Nays 1.
99	99	______________________________
100	100	Secretary of the Senate
101	101	I hereby certify that S.B. No. 956 passed the House, with
102	102	amendments, on May 14, 2009, by the following vote: Yeas 108,
103	103	Nays 35, one present not voting; May 25, 2009, House granted
104	104	request of the Senate for appointment of Conference Committee;
105	105	May 31, 2009, House adopted Conference Committee Report by the
106	106	following vote: Yeas 112, Nays 24, one present not voting.
107	107	______________________________
108	108	Chief Clerk of the House
109	109	Approved:
110	110	______________________________
111	111	Date
112	112	______________________________
113	113	Governor