| 1 | 1 | | S.B. No. 1517 |
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| 2 | 2 | | |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | AN ACT |
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| 5 | 5 | | relating to prohibiting certain academic boycotts of foreign |
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| 6 | 6 | | countries by public institutions of higher education. |
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| 7 | 7 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 8 | 8 | | SECTION 1. Subchapter Z, Chapter 51, Education Code, is |
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| 9 | 9 | | amended by adding Section 51.987 to read as follows: |
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| 10 | 10 | | Sec. 51.987. CERTAIN ACADEMIC BOYCOTTS OF FOREIGN COUNTRIES |
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| 11 | 11 | | PROHIBITED. (a) In this section, "institution of higher |
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| 12 | 12 | | education" has the meaning assigned by Section 61.003. |
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| 13 | 13 | | (b) Subject to Subsection (c), an institution of higher |
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| 14 | 14 | | education may not implement an academic boycott of a foreign |
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| 15 | 15 | | country that would prevent a student or faculty member of the |
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| 16 | 16 | | institution from: |
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| 17 | 17 | | (1) studying or conducting research in or about the |
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| 18 | 18 | | country; or |
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| 19 | 19 | | (2) interacting with the country's scholars or |
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| 20 | 20 | | representatives. |
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| 21 | 21 | | (c) An institution of higher education may implement an |
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| 22 | 22 | | academic boycott described by Subsection (b) of a foreign country |
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| 23 | 23 | | included by the United States Department of State on a list of state |
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| 24 | 24 | | sponsors of terrorism. The boycott may not prevent a student |
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| 25 | 25 | | enrolled at the institution from studying or being educated about |
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| 26 | 26 | | the country. |
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| 27 | 27 | | (d) The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board shall |
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| 28 | 28 | | adopt rules as necessary to implement this section. |
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| 29 | 29 | | SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2023. |
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| 30 | 30 | | ______________________________ ______________________________ |
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| 31 | 31 | | President of the Senate Speaker of the House |
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| 32 | 32 | | I hereby certify that S.B. No. 1517 passed the Senate on |
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| 33 | 33 | | April 26, 2023, by the following vote: Yeas 27, Nays 4; and that |
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| 34 | 34 | | the Senate concurred in House amendment on May 25, 2023, by the |
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| 35 | 35 | | following vote: Yeas 27, Nays 4. |
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| 36 | 36 | | ______________________________ |
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| 37 | 37 | | Secretary of the Senate |
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| 38 | 38 | | I hereby certify that S.B. No. 1517 passed the House, with |
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| 39 | 39 | | amendment, on May 22, 2023, by the following vote: Yeas 103, |
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| 40 | 40 | | Nays 26, sixteen present not voting. |
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| 41 | 41 | | ______________________________ |
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| 42 | 42 | | Chief Clerk of the House |
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| 43 | 43 | | Approved: |
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| 44 | 44 | | ______________________________ |
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| 45 | 45 | | Date |
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| 46 | 46 | | ______________________________ |
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| 47 | 47 | | Governor |
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