| 1 | 1 | | 88R6998 JTZ-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Jones of Harris H.B. No. 2637 |
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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 on certain declines in minority participation |
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| 8 | 8 | | at public institutions of higher education. |
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| 9 | 9 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 10 | 10 | | SECTION 1. Subchapter C, Chapter 61, Education Code, is |
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| 11 | 11 | | amended by adding Section 61.0811 to read as follows: |
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| 12 | 12 | | Sec. 61.0811. STUDY AND REPORT ON CERTAIN DECLINES IN |
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| 13 | 13 | | MINORITY PARTICIPATION. (a) If the board collects data under |
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| 14 | 14 | | Section 61.080 indicating that an institution of higher education |
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| 15 | 15 | | has experienced a decline in applications, admissions, or retention |
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| 16 | 16 | | by members of a particular racial or ethnic minority group for each |
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| 17 | 17 | | of the three preceding academic years, the board shall conduct a |
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| 18 | 18 | | study to determine the reasons for the decline at the institution. |
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| 19 | 19 | | (b) The study must include a review of: |
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| 20 | 20 | | (1) the institution of higher education's recruitment |
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| 21 | 21 | | and outreach programs for members of the racial or ethnic minority |
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| 22 | 22 | | group; and |
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| 23 | 23 | | (2) any financial, academic, or other obstacles to |
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| 24 | 24 | | enrollment or attendance at the institution faced by prospective or |
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| 25 | 25 | | current students who are members of the racial or ethnic minority |
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| 26 | 26 | | group. |
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| 27 | 27 | | (c) Not later than September 1 of each year, the board shall |
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| 28 | 28 | | submit: |
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| 29 | 29 | | (1) to the legislature a report on the results of each |
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| 30 | 30 | | study conducted under this section during the preceding year that |
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| 31 | 31 | | includes any recommendations for legislative or other action to |
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| 32 | 32 | | increase participation in public higher education by members of the |
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| 33 | 33 | | racial or ethnic minority groups considered by those studies; and |
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| 34 | 34 | | (2) to the governing board of each institution of |
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| 35 | 35 | | higher education for which the board conducted a study under this |
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| 36 | 36 | | section during the preceding year a report on the results of the |
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| 37 | 37 | | study that includes any recommendations for changes to institution |
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| 38 | 38 | | policies or procedures or for other action to increase |
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| 39 | 39 | | participation by members of the racial or ethnic minority group at |
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| 40 | 40 | | the institution. |
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| 41 | 41 | | (d) The board shall adopt rules as necessary to implement |
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| 42 | 42 | | this section. |
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| 43 | 43 | | SECTION 2. Section 61.0811, Education Code, as added by |
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| 44 | 44 | | this Act, applies beginning with data collected on minority |
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| 45 | 45 | | participation in public higher education for the 2023-2024 academic |
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| 46 | 46 | | year. |
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| 47 | 47 | | SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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| 48 | 48 | | a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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| 49 | 49 | | provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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| 50 | 50 | | Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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| 51 | 51 | | Act takes effect September 1, 2023. |
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