By Rangel                                             H.B. No. 1640
         77R6702 JSA-D                           
                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-1                                   AN ACT
 1-2     relating to the establishment of a school of pharmacy at Texas A&M
 1-3     University--Kingsville.
 1-4           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 1-5           SECTION 1.  Subchapter D, Chapter 87, Education Code, is
 1-6     amended by adding Section 87.303 to read as follows:
 1-7           Sec. 87.303.  SCHOOL OF PHARMACY.  (a)  The board of regents
 1-8     of The Texas A&M University System shall establish and maintain a
 1-9     school of pharmacy as a professional school of Texas A&M
1-10     University--Kingsville.
1-11           (b)  The board may prescribe courses leading to customary
1-12     degrees offered at other leading American schools of pharmacy and
1-13     may award those degrees.
1-14           SECTION 2.  The board of regents of The Texas A&M University
1-15     System shall, contingent on the legislative appropriation of money
1-16     specifically for that purpose, establish a school of pharmacy as
1-17     provided by Section 87.303, Education Code, as added by this Act,
1-18     not later than the 2005-2006 academic year.  If the legislature
1-19     does not appropriate money specifically for that purpose, the board
1-20     of regents of The Texas A&M University System at any time may, but
1-21     is not required to, establish the school of pharmacy using other
1-22     appropriations available for that purpose.
1-23           SECTION 3.  Not later than August 31, 2002, the Texas Higher
1-24     Education Coordinating Board shall prepare an impact statement
 2-1     examining the initial implementation of this Act and shall deliver
 2-2     a copy of the statement to the board of regents of The Texas A&M
 2-3     University System and to the chair of the standing committee of
 2-4     each house of the legislature with primary jurisdiction over higher
 2-5     education.
 2-6           SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2001.