| |
| |
|
|
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
|
|
|
AN ACT
|
|
|
relating to reporting and providing information regarding |
|
|
discrimination and harassment based on race, color, or ethnicity at |
|
|
public institutions of higher education. |
|
|
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
|
|
SECTION 1. Subchapter Z, Chapter 51, Education Code, is |
|
|
amended by adding Section 51.9795 to read as follows: |
|
|
Sec. 51.9795. REPORTING AND INFORMATION REGARDING |
|
|
DISCRIMINATION AND HARASSMENT BASED ON RACE, COLOR, OR ETHNICITY. |
|
|
(a) In this section, "institution of higher education" has the |
|
|
meaning assigned by Section 61.003. |
|
|
(b) An institution of higher education shall develop and |
|
|
implement a process for students enrolled at the institution to |
|
|
submit complaints to the institution regarding incidents of |
|
|
discrimination or harassment based on race, color, or ethnicity at |
|
|
the institution. The process must include: |
|
|
(1) the ability to submit a complaint through an |
|
|
Internet website and a hotline maintained by the institution; and |
|
|
(2) an option to remain anonymous. |
|
|
(c) Each year, an institution of higher education shall |
|
|
inform freshman and returning students regarding: |
|
|
(1) the institution's policy prohibiting |
|
|
discrimination or harassment based on race, color, or ethnicity; |
|
|
(2) the process for submitting a complaint regarding |
|
|
incidents of discrimination or harassment based on race, color, or |
|
|
ethnicity at the institution to: |
|
|
(A) the institution; |
|
|
(B) the United States Department of Education's |
|
|
Office for Civil Rights; and |
|
|
(C) the institution's accrediting agency; and |
|
|
(3) the number of complaints regarding incidents of |
|
|
discrimination or harassment based on race, color, or ethnicity at |
|
|
the institution received by each entity described by Subdivision |
|
|
(2) during the preceding academic year, to the extent available. |
|
|
(d) An institution of higher education shall post in a |
|
|
publicly accessible location on the institution's Internet website |
|
|
the information described by Subsection (c)(3). |
|
|
SECTION 2. This Act applies beginning with the 2025-2026 |
|
|
academic year. |
|
|
SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
|
|
a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
|
|
provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
|
|
Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
|
|
Act takes effect September 1, 2025. |