| 1 | 1 | | 89R17370 KJE-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Shofner H.B. No. 4788 |
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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 prohibiting public and private institutions of higher |
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| 10 | 10 | | education from accepting federal funding for embryonic or fetal |
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| 11 | 11 | | stem cell research. |
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| 12 | 12 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 13 | 13 | | SECTION 1. Subchapter Z, Chapter 51, Education Code, is |
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| 14 | 14 | | amended by adding Section 51.994 to read as follows: |
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| 15 | 15 | | Sec. 51.994. PROHIBITION ON FEDERAL FUNDING FOR EMBRYONIC |
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| 16 | 16 | | OR FETAL STEM CELL RESEARCH. (a) In this section, "institution of |
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| 17 | 17 | | higher education" has the meaning assigned by Section 61.003. |
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| 18 | 18 | | (b) An institution of higher education or a private |
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| 19 | 19 | | institution of higher education may not accept federal funding for |
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| 20 | 20 | | embryonic or fetal stem cell research. |
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| 21 | 21 | | (c) If the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board |
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| 22 | 22 | | determines that a private institution of higher education has |
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| 23 | 23 | | violated this section, for the academic year following the academic |
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| 24 | 24 | | year in which the determination is made: |
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| 25 | 25 | | (1) the institution may not receive any state money, |
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| 26 | 26 | | including grant funding; and |
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| 27 | 27 | | (2) a student enrolled at the institution may not |
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| 28 | 28 | | receive a tuition equalization grant under Subchapter F, Chapter |
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| 29 | 29 | | 61. |
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| 30 | 30 | | SECTION 2. Section 51.994, Education Code, as added by this |
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| 31 | 31 | | Act, applies beginning with the 2025-2026 academic year. |
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| 32 | 32 | | SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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| 33 | 33 | | a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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| 34 | 34 | | provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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| 35 | 35 | | Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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| 36 | 36 | | Act takes effect September 1, 2025. |
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