| 1 | 1 | | 89R3788 KJE-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Menéndez S.B. No. 187 |
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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 reporting and providing information regarding |
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| 10 | 10 | | discrimination and harassment based on race, color, or ethnicity at |
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| 11 | 11 | | public institutions of higher education. |
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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 51.9795 to read as follows: |
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| 15 | 15 | | Sec. 51.9795. REPORTING AND INFORMATION REGARDING |
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| 16 | 16 | | DISCRIMINATION AND HARASSMENT BASED ON RACE, COLOR, OR ETHNICITY. |
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| 17 | 17 | | (a) In this section, "institution of higher education" has the |
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| 18 | 18 | | meaning assigned by Section 61.003. |
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| 19 | 19 | | (b) An institution of higher education shall develop and |
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| 20 | 20 | | implement a process for students enrolled at the institution to |
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| 21 | 21 | | submit complaints to the institution regarding incidents of |
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| 22 | 22 | | discrimination or harassment based on race, color, or ethnicity at |
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| 23 | 23 | | the institution. The process must include: |
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| 24 | 24 | | (1) the ability to submit a complaint through an |
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| 25 | 25 | | Internet website and a hotline maintained by the institution; and |
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| 26 | 26 | | (2) an option to remain anonymous. |
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| 27 | 27 | | (c) Each year, an institution of higher education shall |
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| 28 | 28 | | inform freshman and returning students regarding: |
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| 29 | 29 | | (1) the institution's policy prohibiting |
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| 30 | 30 | | discrimination or harassment based on race, color, or ethnicity; |
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| 31 | 31 | | (2) the process for submitting a complaint regarding |
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| 32 | 32 | | incidents of discrimination or harassment based on race, color, or |
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| 33 | 33 | | ethnicity at the institution to: |
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| 34 | 34 | | (A) the institution; |
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| 35 | 35 | | (B) the United States Department of Education's |
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| 36 | 36 | | Office for Civil Rights; and |
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| 37 | 37 | | (C) the institution's accrediting agency; and |
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| 38 | 38 | | (3) the number of complaints regarding incidents of |
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| 39 | 39 | | discrimination or harassment based on race, color, or ethnicity at |
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| 40 | 40 | | the institution received by each entity described by Subdivision |
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| 41 | 41 | | (2) during the preceding academic year, to the extent available. |
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| 42 | 42 | | (d) An institution of higher education shall post in a |
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| 43 | 43 | | publicly accessible location on the institution's Internet website |
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| 44 | 44 | | the information described by Subsection (c)(3). |
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| 45 | 45 | | SECTION 2. This Act applies beginning with the 2025-2026 |
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| 46 | 46 | | academic 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, 2025. |
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