By Van de Putte H.B. No. 3284 76R9054 T A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1-1 AN ACT 1-2 relating to the establishment and use of the women's athletic 1-3 development fund. 1-4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-5 SECTION 1. Chapter 51, Education Code, is amended by adding 1-6 Subchapter T to read as follows: 1-7 SUBCHAPTER T. WOMEN'S ATHLETIC DEVELOPMENT FUND 1-8 Sec. 51.851. DEFINITIONS. In this subchapter: 1-9 (1) "Board" means the Texas Higher Education 1-10 Coordinating Board. 1-11 (2) "Fund" means the women's athletic development fund 1-12 created under this subchapter. 1-13 (3) "Institution of higher education" means an 1-14 institution of higher education as defined by Section 61.003. 1-15 Sec. 51.852. FUND. The board shall administer the fund. 1-16 Sec. 51.853. USE OF FUND. The board shall allocate money in 1-17 the fund to institutions of higher education for the establishment 1-18 of women's athletic development programs that are operated by the 1-19 institution on a collaborative basis with one or more public high 1-20 schools in this state. 1-21 Sec. 51.854. CRITERIA IN SELECTING PROGRAMS. In selecting 1-22 which programs may be provided money from the funds, the board 1-23 shall give priority to programs addressing the needs of public 1-24 school students whose economic conditions limit their availability 2-1 of athletic facilities, programs and opportunities. The board 2-2 shall also take into consideration other relevant factors, 2-3 including whether the program: 2-4 (1) promotes gender equity; 2-5 (2) includes the participation of collegiate-level 2-6 coaches and athletes; and 2-7 (3) has a history of increasing athletic 2-8 opportunities. 2-9 SECTION 2. (a) The Texas Higher Education Coordinating 2-10 Board shall conduct a best practices study of women's athletic 2-11 development programs currently operating at institutions of higher 2-12 education in Texas and in other states and shall make its findings 2-13 and recommendations available in a report to the legislature and to 2-14 institutions of higher education. 2-15 (b) The report shall include an analysis of the effect of 2-16 the programs studied under Subsection (a) of this section on 2-17 student enrollment in institutions of higher education and 2-18 performance. 2-19 (c) The report required by this section is due by December 2-20 1, 2000. 2-21 SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 1999. 2-22 SECTION 4. The importance of this legislation and the 2-23 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an 2-24 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the 2-25 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several 2-26 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.