| 1 | 1 | | 89R1998 KJE-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: West S.B. No. 580 |
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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 scholarly |
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| 11 | 11 | | research or creative works at public institutions of higher |
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| 12 | 12 | | education. |
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| 13 | 13 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 14 | 14 | | SECTION 1. Section 51.3525(d), Education Code, is amended |
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| 15 | 15 | | to read as follows: |
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| 16 | 16 | | (d) Subsection (b)(1) may not be construed to apply to: |
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| 17 | 17 | | (1) academic course instruction; |
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| 18 | 18 | | (2) scholarly research, including research funded |
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| 19 | 19 | | wholly or partly by federal grants or other money, or a creative |
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| 20 | 20 | | work by an institution of higher education's students, faculty, |
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| 21 | 21 | | postdoctoral fellows, research staff, or other research personnel |
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| 22 | 22 | | 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. |
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| 33 | 33 | | SECTION 2. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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| 34 | 34 | | a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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| 35 | 35 | | provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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| 36 | 36 | | Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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| 37 | 37 | | Act takes effect September 1, 2025. |
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