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.