By:  Jackson                                          S.B. No. 1651
         99S0800/1                           
                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
                                       AN ACT
 1-1     relating to the establishment of the Texas Chiropractic College as
 1-2     a public institution of higher education.
 1-3           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 1-4           SECTION 1.  DEFINITIONS.  In Sections 2 through 8 of this
 1-5     Act:
 1-6                 (1)  "Governing Board" and "institution of higher
 1-7     education" have the meanings assigned by Section 61.003, Education
 1-8     Code.
 1-9                 (2)  "New institution" means the institution of higher
1-10     education created as a result of the agreement between the
1-11     governing boards of the Texas Chiropractic College and a university
1-12     under Section 2(c) of this Act.
1-13           SECTION 2.  TRANSFER OF GOVERNANCE.  (a)  The Texas Higher
1-14     Education Coordinating Board shall determine, in discussion with
1-15     the institutions of higher education, whether one of the
1-16     institutions of higher education is sufficiently interested in
1-17     establishing the Texas Chiropractic College, currently a Texas
1-18     nonprofit corporation, as an integral part of the institution of
1-19     higher education's governance structure.
1-20           (b)  If there is sufficient interest between the Texas
1-21     Chiropractic College and an institution of higher education in
1-22     establishing the Texas Chiropractic College as an institution of
1-23     higher education, the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board
1-24     shall assist the Texas Chiropractic College and the institution of
 2-1     higher education in the transition process.
 2-2           (c)  The Texas Chiropractic College, including the
 2-3     organization, management, control, and property of that
 2-4     institution, is transferred to the governing board of the
 2-5     institution of higher education selected by the Texas Higher
 2-6     Education Coordinating Board under Subsection (b) of this section,
 2-7     if the board of trustees of the Texas Chiropractic College and the
 2-8     governing board of the institution of higher education both agree
 2-9     to the transfer.  If both boards agree to the transfer, the
2-10     transfer:
2-11                 (1)  is effective on September 1 following the Texas
2-12     Higher Education Coordinating Board approval; and
2-13                 (2)  is governed by Sections 3 through 8 of this Act.
2-14           (d)  If the transfer takes place under Subsection (c) of this
2-15     section, the name of the new institution shall be determined by the
2-16     governing board of the institution of higher education subject to
2-17     the approval of the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board.
2-18           SECTION 3.  POWERS AND DUTIES; RULES AND POLICIES.  (a)  The
2-19     governing board of the institution of higher education to which the
2-20     Texas Chiropractic College is transferred under this Act shall
2-21     undertake to govern, operate, manage, and control the new
2-22     institution and all land, buildings, facilities, improvements,
2-23     equipment, supplies, or property belonging to the institution. In
2-24     governing, operating, managing, or controlling the institution, the
2-25     governing board may use any powers, duties, and responsibilities
2-26     conferred to the board.
 3-1           (b)  The new institution may continue to award degrees in the
 3-2     same disciplines and of the same academic standing as the Texas
 3-3     Chiropractic College, subject to the continuing review of the
 3-4     coordinating board.  A proposal for a new degree program at the
 3-5     institution is subject to the same approval process that applies to
 3-6     other state-supported institutions.
 3-7           (c)  The rules and policies adopted by the board of trustees
 3-8     of the Texas Chiropractic College to govern that institution that
 3-9     are in effect when the transfer takes effect are continued in
3-10     effect until adopted, repealed, or superseded by the governing
3-11     board of the institution of higher education to which the
3-12     institution is transferred by or under this Act.  The governing
3-13     board of the institution of higher education may adopt rules and
3-14     policies applicable to the new institution in anticipation of the
3-15     transfer authorized under this Act.
3-16           SECTION 4.  CONTRACTS AND WRITTEN OBLIGATIONS.  A contract or
3-17     other written obligation entered into by the board of trustees of
3-18     the Texas Chiropractic College for the benefit of or on behalf of
3-19     the college is ratified, confirmed, and validated.  In each
3-20     contract or other written obligation entered into by the board of
3-21     trustees of the Texas Chiropractic College, the governing board of
3-22     the institution of higher education to which the institution is
3-23     transferred under this Act is substituted for and stands in the
3-24     place of the board of trustees to the extent allowed under the law
3-25     or under the contract.
3-26           SECTION 5.  EFFECT ON EMPLOYEES.  For the purposes of
 4-1     determining employment benefits, an employee of the Texas
 4-2     Chiropractic College on the date of the transfer shall be treated
 4-3     in the same manner as any other new employee of the institution of
 4-4     higher education except that the employee shall be given credit for
 4-5     any years of service at the Texas Chiropractic College for the
 4-6     purpose of accruing annual leave as a state employee.
 4-7           SECTION 6.  TRANSFER OF FUNDING.  Any funds that, on the
 4-8     effective date of the transfer, have been dedicated to or held for
 4-9     transfer to the governing board of the institution of higher
4-10     education to which the institution is transferred under this Act
4-11     shall be used for the benefit of the new institution.
4-12           SECTION 7.  EFFECT ON STUDENTS.  (a)  The transfer of the
4-13     governance, operation, management, and control of the Texas
4-14     Chiropractic College to the institution to which it is transferred
4-15     under this Act does not affect the credit hours earned by a student
4-16     enrolled at the Texas Chiropractic College before the effective
4-17     date of the transfer under this Act.
4-18           (b)  The tuition rate charged by the Texas Chiropractic
4-19     College during the academic year of the transfer remains in effect
4-20     following the transfer of the institution under Section 2 of this
4-21     Act.  The tuition rate may not be decreased and is subject to
4-22     annual increases by the governing board of the institution of
4-23     higher education.
4-24           SECTION 8.  LEGISLATIVE INTENT.  It is the intent of the
4-25     legislature that:
4-26                 (1)  the effect of this Act is to transfer the
 5-1     governance of the Texas Chiropractic College to the governing board
 5-2     of an institution of higher education that entered into an
 5-3     agreement under Section 2(c) of this Act;
 5-4                 (2)  this Act does not create an institution of higher
 5-5     education entitled to funds under Section 17 or 18, Article VII,
 5-6     Texas Constitution; and
 5-7                 (3)  on or after the effective date of this Act, the
 5-8     new institution is not eligible to receive funds under Section 17
 5-9     or 18, Article VII Texas Constitution.
5-10           SECTION 9.  AMENDMENT.  Subtitle F, Title 3, Education Code,
5-11     is amended by adding Chapter 114 to read as follows:
5-12                     CHAPTER 114.  CHIROPRACTIC COLLEGE
5-13           Sec. 114.001.  CHIROPRACTIC COLLEGE.  (a)  The chiropractic
5-14     college formerly constituting the Texas Chiropractic College,
5-15     operated as a nonprofit corporation and transferred to the state
5-16     pursuant to an Act of the 76th Legislature, Regular Session, 1999,
5-17     is now a component of the higher education institution to which the
5-18     Texas Chiropractic College was transferred under that Act and is
5-19     under the management and control of the governing board of that
5-20     institution of higher education.
5-21           (b)  The governing board has the same powers and duties
5-22     concerning the institution as are conferred on it by law concerning
5-23     any component institution of the institution of higher education.
5-24           Sec. 114.002.  POWERS OF THE BOARD.  (a)  The governing board
5-25     may:
5-26                 (1)  provide for the training and teaching of students
 6-1     seeking to become;
 6-2                       (A)  chiropractors; or
 6-3                       (B)  other technicians who provide services
 6-4     related to the practice of chiropractic medicine;
 6-5                 (2)  prescribe courses leading to degrees customarily
 6-6     offered in other leading United States chiropractic schools;
 6-7                 (3)  award the degrees described by Subdivision (2);
 6-8                 (4)  enter into an affiliation or coordinating
 6-9     agreement with an entity if reasonably necessary or desirable for
6-10     the operation of a first-class school of chiropractic medicine;
6-11                 (5)  make joint appointments with another institution
6-12     of higher education; and
6-13                 (6)  adopt rules for the operation, control, and
6-14     management of the institution as necessary for the operation of a
6-15     first-class school of chiropractic medicine, including rules
6-16     governing the number of students that may be admitted to any
6-17     program at the institution.
6-18           (b)  The salary of a person who received a joint appointment
6-19     under Subsection (a)(5) must be apportioned among the institutions
6-20     to which the individual is appointed on the basis of the services
6-21     rendered.
6-22           SECTION 10.  NOTICE.  As soon as practicable after the date
6-23     the governing board of an institution of higher education certifies
6-24     that the institution of higher education has agreed to and
6-25     completed the transfer under Section 2 of this Act, the governing
6-26     board shall publish notice of that action in the Texas Register.
 7-1           SECTION 11.  CONTINGENT EFFECT.  (a)  If a transfer of the
 7-2     Texas Chiropractic College to an institution of higher education is
 7-3     agreed to and approved under Section 2 of this Act, Section 9 of
 7-4     this Act takes effect and applies beginning on the September 1 date
 7-5     next following the date of the approval.
 7-6           (b)  If a transfer of the Texas Chiropractic College to an
 7-7     institution of higher education is not agreed to and approved under
 7-8     Section 2 of this Act, Section 9 of this Act has no effect.
 7-9           SECTION 12.  EFFECTIVE DATE.  Sections 1 through 8 and
7-10     Section 10 of this Act take effect immediately.
7-11           SECTION 13.  EMERGENCY.  The importance of this legislation
7-12     and the crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
7-13     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
7-14     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
7-15     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,
7-16     and that this Act take effect and be in force according to its
7-17     terms, and it is so enacted.