88R3359 MM-D
By: Martinez H.B. No. 1077
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to the establishment of a public law school in the Rio
Grande Valley.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Subchapter C, Chapter 61, Education Code, is
amended by adding Section 61.0905 to read as follows:
Sec. 61.0905. RIO GRANDE VALLEY SCHOOL OF LAW. (a) The
governing board of a university system may establish and operate,
as a professional school of the system, a school of law in Cameron
County or Hidalgo County as the governing board considers
appropriate.
(b) In administering the law school, the governing board may
prescribe courses leading to customary degrees offered at other
leading American schools of law and may award those degrees.
(c) The governing board may assign responsibility for the
management of the law school to a general academic teaching
institution in the university system.
(d) The governing board may accept and administer gifts and
grants from any public or private person or entity for the use and
benefit of the law school. Notwithstanding any other provision of
this section, establishment of a law school under this section is
subject to the availability of funding, either through
appropriation or from another source.
(e) The governing board of a university system that intends
to establish a law school under this section shall notify the Texas
Higher Education Coordinating Board. If the coordinating board
receives notification under this subsection from more than one
governing board, the coordinating board shall determine which of
those governing boards may establish a law school under this
section. The coordinating board must base the determination on the
need for a law school in a geographic area, potential student
demand, available system resources, the feasibility of the specific
proposal of each system, and other criteria the coordinating board
considers appropriate.
(f) Before the governing board establishes a law school
under this section, the governing board shall request the
coordinating board to prepare a feasibility study to determine the
actions the system must take to obtain accreditation of the law
school. The coordinating board shall deliver a copy of the study to
the governing board and to the chair of each legislative standing
committee with jurisdiction over higher education.
SECTION 2. For the purposes of Section 61.0905, Education
Code, as added by this Act, no state funds may be appropriated for a
state fiscal biennium ending on or before August 31, 2029.
SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
Act takes effect September 1, 2023.