| 1 | 1 | | 85R9554 KJE-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Leach H.B. No. 2229 |
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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 certain public and private institutions of |
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| 8 | 8 | | higher education to provide students and employees an option to |
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| 9 | 9 | | electronically report certain offenses to the institution. |
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| 10 | 10 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 11 | 11 | | SECTION 1. Subchapter Z, Chapter 51, Education Code, is |
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| 12 | 12 | | amended by adding Section 51.9365 to read as follows: |
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| 13 | 13 | | Sec. 51.9365. ELECTRONIC REPORTING OPTION FOR CERTAIN |
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| 14 | 14 | | OFFENSES. (a) In this section: |
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| 15 | 15 | | (1) "Family violence" has the meaning assigned by |
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| 16 | 16 | | Section 71.004, Family Code. |
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| 17 | 17 | | (2) "Postsecondary educational institution" means an |
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| 18 | 18 | | institution of higher education or a private or independent |
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| 19 | 19 | | institution of higher education, as those terms are defined by |
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| 20 | 20 | | Section 61.003, Education Code. |
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| 21 | 21 | | (b) Each postsecondary educational institution shall |
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| 22 | 22 | | provide an option for a student enrolled at or an employee of the |
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| 23 | 23 | | institution to electronically report to the institution an |
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| 24 | 24 | | allegation of sexual assault, family violence, or stalking |
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| 25 | 25 | | committed against or witnessed by the student or employee, |
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| 26 | 26 | | regardless of the location at which the alleged offense occurred. |
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| 27 | 27 | | (c) The electronic reporting option provided under |
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| 28 | 28 | | Subsection (b) must enable a student or employee to report the |
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| 29 | 29 | | alleged offense anonymously. |
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| 30 | 30 | | (d) A protocol for reporting sexual assault adopted under |
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| 31 | 31 | | Section 51.9363 must comply with this section. |
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| 32 | 32 | | (e) The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board may adopt |
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| 33 | 33 | | rules as necessary to administer this section. |
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| 34 | 34 | | SECTION 2. Not later than January 1, 2018, each public or |
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| 35 | 35 | | private postsecondary educational institution shall provide the |
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| 36 | 36 | | electronic reporting option required under Section 51.9365, |
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| 37 | 37 | | Education Code, as added by this Act. |
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| 38 | 38 | | SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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| 39 | 39 | | a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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| 40 | 40 | | provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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| 41 | 41 | | Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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| 42 | 42 | | Act takes effect September 1, 2017. |
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