By Longoria                                     H.B. No. 1549

      75R944 JSA-D                           

                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

 1-1                                   AN ACT

 1-2     relating to the provision of postsecondary educational

 1-3     opportunities to certain state inmates.

 1-4           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

 1-5           SECTION 1.  Chapter 19, Education Code, is amended by adding

 1-6     Section 19.012 to read as follows:

 1-7           Sec. 19.012.  POSTSECONDARY EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES.

 1-8     (a)  The district may provide basic postsecondary educational

 1-9     courses or programs to persons confined or imprisoned by the

1-10     department who are not eligible for programs or services under this

1-11     chapter paid for with money from the Foundation School Program.

1-12           (b)  The district may contract with any public or private

1-13     institution of higher education or vocational or technical school

1-14     to provide services under this section.

1-15           (c)  The district shall consult with the Texas Higher

1-16     Education Coordinating Board in establishing a program or course of

1-17     study under this section.  To the extent practicable, the district

1-18     shall attempt to ensure that credit for a course offered under this

1-19     section is transferrable to other institutions of higher education.

1-20           SECTION 2.  The importance of this legislation and the

1-21     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

1-22     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

1-23     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

1-24     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,

 2-1     and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its

 2-2     passage, and it is so enacted.