| 1 | 1 | | 84R5411 AAF-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: White of Tyler H.B. No. 2446 |
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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 a study and report on online law schools and on the |
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| 8 | 8 | | licensing of attorneys who obtain degrees through online or |
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| 9 | 9 | | correspondence law schools or who become licensed through other |
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| 10 | 10 | | nontraditional methods. |
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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 C, Chapter 61, Education Code, is |
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| 13 | 13 | | amended by adding Section 61.0908 to read as follows: |
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| 14 | 14 | | Sec. 61.0908. STUDY AND REPORT ON ONLINE LAW SCHOOLS AND |
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| 15 | 15 | | LICENSING OF ATTORNEYS. (a) The board, in collaboration with the |
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| 16 | 16 | | Board of Law Examiners, shall conduct a study regarding the future |
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| 17 | 17 | | of online law schools and the licensing of attorneys in this state |
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| 18 | 18 | | who obtain law degrees through online or correspondence law schools |
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| 19 | 19 | | or who become licensed in other states through apprenticeship |
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| 20 | 20 | | programs. |
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| 21 | 21 | | (b) The study must include an evaluation of: |
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| 22 | 22 | | (1) online or correspondence law schools in other |
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| 23 | 23 | | states; |
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| 24 | 24 | | (2) legal apprenticeship programs in other states; |
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| 25 | 25 | | (3) alternative methods of accreditation of law |
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| 26 | 26 | | schools in other states; and |
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| 27 | 27 | | (4) alternative methods of licensing an attorney who: |
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| 28 | 28 | | (A) obtained a law degree through a law school |
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| 29 | 29 | | unapproved by this state; or |
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| 30 | 30 | | (B) was licensed in another state through a legal |
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| 31 | 31 | | apprenticeship program. |
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| 32 | 32 | | (c) The board shall include the results of the study and any |
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| 33 | 33 | | recommendations for legislative or administrative action in a |
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| 34 | 34 | | report submitted to the governor and the legislature before |
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| 35 | 35 | | December 31, 2016. |
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| 36 | 36 | | (d) This section expires September 1, 2017. |
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| 37 | 37 | | SECTION 2. Not later than January 1, 2016, the Texas Higher |
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| 38 | 38 | | Education Coordinating Board shall adopt rules necessary to |
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| 39 | 39 | | implement Section 61.0908, Education Code, as added by this Act. |
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| 40 | 40 | | SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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| 41 | 41 | | a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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| 42 | 42 | | provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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| 43 | 43 | | Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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| 44 | 44 | | Act takes effect September 1, 2015. |
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