By Rangel H.B. No. 3651
76R3550 KEL-D
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
1-1 AN ACT
1-2 relating to the initiation of or the affiliation with certain
1-3 entities by a university system, a general academic teaching
1-4 institution, or a medical and dental unit.
1-5 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-6 SECTION 1. Section 61.055, Education Code, is amended to
1-7 read as follows:
1-8 Sec. 61.055. INITIATION OF [NEW] DEPARTMENTS, SCHOOLS, [AND]
1-9 PROGRAMS, OFF-CAMPUS UNITS, OR AFFILIATIONS. (a) Except as
1-10 otherwise provided by law, a [new] department, school, or degree or
1-11 certificate program approved by the board or its predecessor, the
1-12 Texas Commission on Higher Education, may not be initiated by any
1-13 institution of higher education until the board has made a written
1-14 finding that the department, school, or degree or certificate
1-15 program is adequately financed by legislative appropriation, by
1-16 funds allocated by the board, or by funds from other sources.
1-17 (b) A university system, a general academic teaching
1-18 institution, or a medical and dental unit may not initiate a branch
1-19 campus, extension center, other off-campus unit, or professional
1-20 school and may not affiliate with a private or independent
1-21 institution of higher education to offer or jointly operate a
1-22 branch campus, extension center, other off-campus unit, or
1-23 professional school until:
1-24 (1) the initiation or affiliation is approved by
2-1 legislative act;
2-2 (2) the initiation or affiliation is approved by the
2-3 board; and
2-4 (3) the board makes a written finding that the branch
2-5 campus, extension center, other off-campus unit, or professional
2-6 school is adequately financed by legislative appropriation, by
2-7 funds allocated by the board, or by funds from other sources.
2-8 SECTION 2. This Act does not affect a branch campus,
2-9 extension center, other off-campus unit, professional school, or
2-10 affiliation initiated before the effective date of this Act.
2-11 SECTION 3. The importance of this legislation and the
2-12 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
2-13 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
2-14 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
2-15 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,
2-16 and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its
2-17 passage, and it is so enacted.