Texas 2025 - 89th Regular

Texas House Bill HB810 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1	89R3671 TSS-D
2	2	By: Gervin-Hawkins H.B. No. 810
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5	5
6	6
7	7	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
8	8	AN ACT
9	9	relating to the requirements for hearings and meetings conducted by
10	10	the University Interscholastic League.
11	11	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
12	12	SECTION 1. Chapter 33, Education Code, is amended by adding
13	13	Subchapter D-1 to read as follows:
14	14	SUBCHAPTER D-1. UNIVERSITY INTERSCHOLASTIC LEAGUE HEARINGS AND
15	15	MEETINGS
16	16	Sec. 33.125. DEFINITIONS. In this subchapter:
17	17	(1) "League" means the University Interscholastic
18	18	League.
19	19	(2) "Legislative council" means the governing body of
20	20	the league that proposes, implements, and administers rules and
21	21	procedures for the league as provided by this chapter.
22	22	Sec. 33.126. CONSTITUTION AND CONTEST RULES. (a) The
23	23	legislative council shall amend the league's constitution and
24	24	contest rules as necessary to comply with this subchapter and
25	25	submit the proposed amended constitution and rules to the
26	26	commissioner for approval. The commissioner may not approve a
27	27	provision of the proposed constitution or a rule submitted by the
28	28	league that conflicts with the requirements of this subchapter.
29	29	(b) The league's constitution and contest rules must:
30	30	(1) clearly describe the procedure, process, and
31	31	timing for a hearing or meeting held by, the reconsideration of a
32	32	decision made by, or an appeal taken from a decision made by the
33	33	state executive committee of the league; and
34	34	(2) provide a person or school district campus
35	35	guidance for actions available following the exhaustion of
36	36	administrative remedies.
37	37	Sec. 33.127. STATE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE DUTIES. The state
38	38	executive committee of the league:
39	39	(1) must accept any appeal taken from a decision of a
40	40	district executive committee of the league; and
41	41	(2) may not impose a penalty until the penalty is
42	42	reviewed and approved by the commissioner.
43	43	Sec. 33.128. LEAGUE CONTEST RULES. The rules of the league
44	44	shall, for any hearing or meeting by a district executive committee
45	45	of the league or the state executive committee of the league
46	46	regarding an alleged violation of league contest rules by a person
47	47	or school district campus:
48	48	(1) require the burden of proof to be borne by the
49	49	person or campus alleging the violation or the district executive
50	50	committee of the league or state executive committee of the league
51	51	if the committee alleges the violation;
52	52	(2) require the hearing or meeting to be audio- and
53	53	video-recorded and made accessible through the league's Internet
54	54	website not later than 24 hours after the end of the hearing or
55	55	meeting;
56	56	(3) require the district executive committee of the
57	57	league or state executive committee of the league to provide, not
58	58	later than five business days before the date of the hearing or
59	59	meeting, written notice of the hearing or meeting, including a list
60	60	of any evidence or witnesses the committee intends to present at the
61	61	hearing or meeting relating to the alleged violation, to each
62	62	person or campus involved in the alleged violation;
63	63	(4) prohibit investigation or use of an anonymous
64	64	complaint by the district executive committee of the league or
65	65	state executive committee of the league;
66	66	(5) require testimony presented by a person or campus,
67	67	the district executive committee of the league, or the state
68	68	executive committee of the league against a person or campus to be
69	69	provided in person, under oath, and subject to cross-examination;
70	70	(6) to the extent practicable, require the Texas Rules
71	71	of Evidence to apply to the hearing or meeting in the same manner as
72	72	those rules apply in a court of law;
73	73	(7) require the district executive committee of the
74	74	league or state executive committee of the league to ensure the
75	75	presence of an attorney licensed in this state at the hearing or
76	76	meeting to ensure compliance with applicable law and the league's
77	77	constitution and contest rules;
78	78	(8) permit a person or campus to:
79	79	(A) be represented by legal counsel; and
80	80	(B) participate, on the person's or campus's own
81	81	behalf or through legal counsel, including by allowing:
82	82	(i) opening statements;
83	83	(ii) closing statements;
84	84	(iii) cross-examination of witnesses; and
85	85	(iv) submission of and objections to
86	86	evidence consistent with the Texas Rules of Evidence;
87	87	(9) prohibit the district executive committee of the
88	88	league or state executive committee of the league from setting a
89	89	predetermined time limit on the duration of the hearing or meeting;
90	90	and
91	91	(10) require the district executive committee of the
92	92	league or state executive committee of the league to include in any
93	93	decision of the committee issued after the hearing or meeting
94	94	written findings of fact addressing the witness testimony and any
95	95	evidence presented.
96	96	Sec. 33.129. SUBPOENA. On the motion of any party to a
97	97	hearing or meeting relating to an alleged violation of league
98	98	contest rules, a district executive committee of the league or the
99	99	state executive committee of the league may issue an administrative
100	100	subpoena to compel the production of records relating to the
101	101	hearing or meeting or the attendance of any person at the hearing or
102	102	meeting.
103	103	SECTION 2. Subchapter D-1, Chapter 33, Education Code, as
104	104	added by this Act, applies only to a hearing or meeting conducted by
105	105	a district executive committee, the state executive committee, or
106	106	any other committee of the University Interscholastic League
107	107	commenced on or after the effective date of this Act. A hearing or
108	108	meeting commenced before the effective date of this Act is governed
109	109	by the law in effect on the date the hearing or meeting commenced.
110	110	SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.