By Turner of Harris                             H.B. No. 3217

      75R6710 JSA-D                           

                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

 1-1                                   AN ACT

 1-2     relating to a study of the effects of racial and ethnic

 1-3     discrimination on higher education in this state and on the

 1-4     appropriateness of state measures to remedy those effects in

 1-5     admissions and financial aid determinations.

 1-6           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

 1-7           SECTION 1.  STUDY ON RACIAL AND ETHNIC DISCRIMINATION IN

 1-8     HIGHER EDUCATION.  (a)  The Texas Higher Education Coordinating

 1-9     Board shall institute and coordinate a study of:

1-10                 (1)  the history of discrimination on the basis of

1-11     race, ethnicity, and language group by this state and public

1-12     institutions of higher education in this state, and the extent to

1-13     which this state and public institutions of higher education in

1-14     this state have tolerated or failed to take corrective or

1-15     preventive measures with respect to acts of discrimination by

1-16     others, including private individuals or entities, that affected

1-17     the opportunity of members of racial, ethnic, or language minority

1-18     groups to qualify for, attend, or succeed at institutions of higher

1-19     education in this state;

1-20                 (2)  whether and to what extent that discrimination

1-21     continues to affect the opportunity of all racial, ethnic, and

1-22     language groups to qualify for, have access to, attend, or succeed

1-23     at institutions of higher education on a fair and equitable basis

1-24     to a degree that is not the result of general societal

 2-1     discrimination; and

 2-2                 (3)  the extent to which admission, scholarship, and

 2-3     financial aid policies that have been used by public institutions

 2-4     of higher education in the last 10 years have been narrowly

 2-5     tailored to remedy the present effects of past discrimination

 2-6     identified under Subdivision (2) of this subsection.

 2-7           (b)  In conducting the study, the coordinating board may

 2-8     appoint advisory or other committees to assist in planning,

 2-9     conducting, or analyzing the study.  A committee may include any

2-10     educators, experts, or other persons willing to serve.  The

2-11     coordinating board may request the assistance of any state agency,

2-12     office, department, or institution. Each public institution of

2-13     higher education shall cooperate with the coordinating board in

2-14     conducting the study.

2-15           SECTION 2.  REPORTS.  The coordinating board shall report its

2-16     activities and the findings of the study to the governor, the

2-17     lieutenant governor, and the speaker of the house of

2-18     representatives not later than August 1, 1998.

2-19           SECTION 3.  EXPIRATION DATE.  This Act expires January 1,

2-20     1999.

2-21           SECTION 4.  EMERGENCY.  The importance of this legislation

2-22     and the crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

2-23     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

2-24     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

2-25     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,

2-26     and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its

2-27     passage, and it is so enacted.