| 1 | 1 | | 89R15478 RDR-F |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: A. Davis of Dallas H.B. No. 4345 |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | |
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| 5 | 5 | | |
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| 6 | 6 | | |
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| 7 | 7 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 8 | 8 | | AN ACT |
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| 9 | 9 | | relating to an exemption from certain requirements regarding |
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| 10 | 10 | | diversity, equity, or inclusion initiatives for certain activities |
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| 11 | 11 | | for veterans or persons with disabilities provided by public |
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| 12 | 12 | | institutions of higher education and to reporting regarding those |
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| 13 | 13 | | activities. |
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| 14 | 14 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 15 | 15 | | SECTION 1. Section 51.3525, Education Code, is amended by |
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| 16 | 16 | | amending Subsections (d), (e), and (j) and adding Subsection (d-1) |
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| 17 | 17 | | to read as follows: |
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| 18 | 18 | | (d) Subsection (b)(1) may not be construed to apply to: |
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| 19 | 19 | | (1) academic course instruction; |
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| 20 | 20 | | (2) scholarly research or a creative work by an |
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| 21 | 21 | | institution of higher education's students, faculty, or other |
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| 22 | 22 | | research personnel or the dissemination of that research or work; |
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| 23 | 23 | | (3) an activity of a student organization registered |
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| 24 | 24 | | with or recognized by an institution of higher education; |
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| 25 | 25 | | (4) guest speakers or performers on short-term |
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| 26 | 26 | | engagements; |
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| 27 | 27 | | (5) a policy, practice, procedure, program, or |
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| 28 | 28 | | activity to enhance student academic achievement or postgraduate |
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| 29 | 29 | | outcomes that is designed and implemented without regard to race, |
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| 30 | 30 | | sex, color, or ethnicity; |
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| 31 | 31 | | (6) data collection; [or] |
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| 32 | 32 | | (7) student recruitment or admissions; or |
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| 33 | 33 | | (8) a service, program, or activity that supports |
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| 34 | 34 | | veterans or persons with disabilities without regard to race, sex, |
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| 35 | 35 | | color, or ethnicity, including: |
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| 36 | 36 | | (A) the hiring or assignment of personnel |
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| 37 | 37 | | necessary to comply with state or federal law or grant requirements |
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| 38 | 38 | | relating to veterans or persons with disabilities; and |
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| 39 | 39 | | (B) training developed or implemented to address |
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| 40 | 40 | | the unique needs and rights of veterans or persons with |
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| 41 | 41 | | disabilities. |
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| 42 | 42 | | (d-1) The provision of a service, program, or activity under |
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| 43 | 43 | | Subsection (d)(8) may not be used to establish or maintain a |
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| 44 | 44 | | diversity, equity, and inclusion office unless explicitly required |
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| 45 | 45 | | by state or federal law. |
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| 46 | 46 | | (e) An institution of higher education may not spend money |
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| 47 | 47 | | appropriated to the institution for a state fiscal year until the |
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| 48 | 48 | | governing board of the institution submits to the legislature and |
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| 49 | 49 | | the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board a report certifying |
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| 50 | 50 | | the board's compliance with this section during the preceding state |
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| 51 | 51 | | fiscal year. The report must include: |
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| 52 | 52 | | (1) a description of services, programs, and |
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| 53 | 53 | | activities offered by the institution that support veterans or |
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| 54 | 54 | | persons with disabilities; |
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| 55 | 55 | | (2) any change or discontinuation of services, |
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| 56 | 56 | | programs, or activities described by Subdivision (1), including the |
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| 57 | 57 | | reason for the change or discontinuation; and |
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| 58 | 58 | | (3) efforts made to ensure compliance with applicable |
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| 59 | 59 | | state and federal laws regarding veterans or persons with |
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| 60 | 60 | | disabilities. |
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| 61 | 61 | | (j) The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, in |
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| 62 | 62 | | coordination with institutions of higher education, shall conduct a |
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| 63 | 63 | | biennial study to identify the impact of the implementation of this |
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| 64 | 64 | | section on the application rate, acceptance rate, matriculation |
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| 65 | 65 | | rate, retention rate, grade point average, and graduation rate of |
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| 66 | 66 | | students at institutions of higher education, disaggregated by |
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| 67 | 67 | | race, sex, veteran status, disability status, and ethnicity. Not |
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| 68 | 68 | | later than December 1 of each even-numbered year, the coordinating |
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| 69 | 69 | | board shall submit to the legislature a report on the results of the |
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| 70 | 70 | | study, [and] any recommendations for legislative or other action, |
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| 71 | 71 | | and a summary of information submitted to the coordinating board |
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| 72 | 72 | | under Subsections (e)(1), (2), and (3). This subsection expires |
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| 73 | 73 | | September 1, 2029. |
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| 74 | 74 | | SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025. |
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