1-1 By: Garcia (Senate Sponsor - West) H.B. No. 2806 1-2 (In the Senate - Received from the House May 10, 1999; 1-3 May 10, 1999, read first time and referred to Committee on 1-4 Education; May 14, 1999, reported favorably by the following vote: 1-5 Yeas 6, Nays 0; May 14, 1999, sent to printer.) 1-6 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1-7 AN ACT 1-8 relating to establishing a mentoring program at the University of 1-9 North Texas. 1-10 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-11 SECTION 1. Subchapter C, Chapter 105, Education Code, is 1-12 amended by adding Section 105.51 to read as follows: 1-13 Sec. 105.51. MENTORING PROGRAM. (a) The board may 1-14 establish a mentoring program at the university. The program may 1-15 provide mentoring, tutoring, and other resources to students at all 1-16 levels of the educational system to assist students to: 1-17 (1) succeed in their education and achieve appropriate 1-18 educational goals; and 1-19 (2) prepare for the transition from being a student to 1-20 becoming an independent adult member of society. 1-21 (b) The program may recruit, train, coordinate, and support 1-22 mentors and tutors, and may provide other resources, to students in 1-23 the communities primarily served by the university who are students 1-24 at risk of dropping out of school, as defined by Section 29.081, or 1-25 who are otherwise in need of services to assist them in 1-26 successfully completing their education and becoming productive 1-27 members of the community. 1-28 (c) The board shall establish in connection with the program 1-29 a continuing study and evaluation of mentoring activities and 1-30 research into the best practices and methods of mentoring. 1-31 (d) Not later than January 1, 2001, and at other times 1-32 determined by the board, the board shall prepare a report relating 1-33 to the operation of the program. The report shall include: 1-34 (1) a description of the program; 1-35 (2) information relating to the students served by the 1-36 program; 1-37 (3) an analysis of the effects of the program on 1-38 student performance, including effects on drop-out rates, school 1-39 attendance, grades, performance on assessment tests, graduation 1-40 rates, and entry into higher education programs; 1-41 (4) the costs of the program and the sources of funds 1-42 used to support the program; and 1-43 (5) the board's recommendations for continuing the 1-44 program and for any changes in the law authorizing the program. 1-45 (e) The board may use available institutional funds, as 1-46 defined by Section 51.009, to support the program. The board may 1-47 solicit and accept gifts, grants, and donations from any public or 1-48 private source to support the program. 1-49 SECTION 2. This Act does not make an appropriation. This 1-50 Act does not require the board of regents of the University of 1-51 North Texas to establish a mentoring program under Section 105.51, 1-52 Education Code, as added by this Act, unless money is specifically 1-53 appropriated for that purpose. 1-54 SECTION 3. The importance of this legislation and the 1-55 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an 1-56 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the 1-57 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several 1-58 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended, 1-59 and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its 1-60 passage, and it is so enacted. 1-61 * * * * *