1-1                                   AN ACT
 1-2     relating to a partnership or affiliation between certain entities
 1-3     and a general academic teaching institution or a medical and dental
 1-4     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; PARTNERSHIPS OR AFFILIATIONS.  (a)  Except as otherwise
1-10     provided by law, a new department, school, or degree or certificate
1-11     program approved by the board or its predecessor, the Texas
1-12     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 general academic teaching institution or medical and
1-18     dental unit may establish a partnership or affiliation with another
1-19     entity to offer or conduct courses for academic credit or to offer
1-20     or operate a degree program if:
1-21                 (1)  the governing board or other appropriate official
1-22     of the institution or unit determines that the partnership or
1-23     affiliation is:
1-24                       (A)  consistent with the role and mission
 2-1     established for the institution or unit;
 2-2                       (B)  in accordance with the degree and
 2-3     certificate programs authorized to be offered by the institution or
 2-4     unit; and
 2-5                       (C)  consistent with the role and mission of the
 2-6     university system, if any, to which the institution or unit
 2-7     belongs;
 2-8                 (2)  the partnership or affiliation is approved by the
 2-9     coordinating board; or
2-10                 (3)  the partnership or affiliation is established to
2-11     secure or provide clinical or other similar practical educational
2-12     experience in connection with a course or degree program authorized
2-13     to be offered by the institution or unit.
2-14           SECTION 2.  This Act does not affect a partnership or
2-15     affiliation established before the effective date of this Act.
2-16           SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
2-17     a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
2-18     provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution.  If this
2-19     Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
2-20     Act takes effect September 1, 2001.
         _______________________________     _______________________________
             President of the Senate              Speaker of the House
               I certify that H.B. No. 1685 was passed by the House on April
         23, 2001, by the following vote:  Yeas 146, Nays 1, 1 present, not
         voting; and that the House concurred in Senate amendments to H.B.
         No. 1685 on May 24, 2001, by the following vote:  Yeas 135, Nays 0,
         1 present, not voting.
                                             _______________________________
                                                 Chief Clerk of the House
               I certify that H.B. No. 1685 was passed by the Senate, with
         amendments, on May 17, 2001, by the following vote:  Yeas 30, Nays
         0, 1 present, not voting.
                                             _______________________________
                                                 Secretary of the Senate
         APPROVED:  __________________________
                              Date
                    __________________________
                            Governor