73R7061 SOS-F By Bailey H.B. No. 1535 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1-1 AN ACT 1-2 relating to the authority of public institutions of higher 1-3 education to require or coerce faculty members to join an 1-4 organization or to discourage or prohibit faculty members from 1-5 joining an organization or from participating in political affairs. 1-6 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-7 SECTION 1. Subchapter Z, Chapter 51, Education Code, is 1-8 amended by adding Section 51.929 to read as follows: 1-9 Sec. 51.929. PROHIBITION AGAINST REQUIRING, COERCING, 1-10 DISCOURAGING, OR PROHIBITING FACULTY FROM CERTAIN ACTIONS. (a) An 1-11 institution of higher education, a member of the governing board of 1-12 an institution of higher education, or a member of the 1-13 administrative staff of an institution of higher education may not 1-14 directly or indirectly require or coerce any faculty member of the 1-15 institution to join an organization or association or discourage or 1-16 prohibit a faculty member of the institution from joining an 1-17 organization or association or from participating in political 1-18 affairs of the community or the government. 1-19 (b) The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board shall 1-20 enforce this section. 1-21 (c) In this section: 1-22 (1) "Faculty member" has the meaning assigned by 1-23 Section 51.101 of this code. 1-24 (2) "Institution of higher education" has the meaning 2-1 assigned by Section 61.003 of this code. 2-2 SECTION 2. Not later than October 1, 1993, the Texas Higher 2-3 Education Coordinating Board shall notify the president of each 2-4 public institution of higher education of the conduct prohibited by 2-5 Section 51.929, Education Code, as added by this Act. 2-6 SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 1993. 2-7 SECTION 4. The importance of this legislation and the 2-8 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an 2-9 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the 2-10 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several 2-11 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.