1-1     By:  Rangel (Senate Sponsor - Bivins)                 H.B. No. 1685
 1-2           (In the Senate - Received from the House April  24, 2001;
 1-3     April 25, 2001, read first time and referred to Committee on
 1-4     Education; May 4, 2001, reported adversely, with favorable
 1-5     Committee Substitute by the following vote:  Yeas 8, Nays 0;
 1-6     May 4, 2001, sent to printer.)
 1-7     COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR H.B. No. 1685                  By:  Bivins
 1-8                            A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-9                                   AN ACT
1-10     relating to a partnership or affiliation between certain entities
1-11     and a general academic teaching institution or a medical and dental
1-12     unit.
1-13           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-14           SECTION 1.  Section 61.055, Education Code, is amended to
1-15     read as follows:
1-16           Sec. 61.055.  INITIATION OF NEW DEPARTMENTS, SCHOOLS, AND
1-17     PROGRAMS; PARTNERSHIPS OR AFFILIATIONS.  (a)  Except as otherwise
1-18     provided by law, a new department, school, or degree or certificate
1-19     program approved by the board or its predecessor, the Texas
1-20     Commission on Higher Education, may not be initiated by any
1-21     institution of higher education until the board has made a written
1-22     finding that the department, school, or degree or certificate
1-23     program is adequately financed by legislative appropriation, by
1-24     funds allocated by the board, or by funds from other sources.
1-25           (b)  A general academic teaching institution or medical and
1-26     dental unit may establish a partnership or affiliation with another
1-27     entity to offer or conduct courses for academic credit or to offer
1-28     or operate a degree program if:
1-29                 (1)  the governing board or other appropriate official
1-30     of the institution or unit determines that the partnership or
1-31     affiliation is:
1-32                       (A)  consistent with the role and mission
1-33     established for the institution or unit;
1-34                       (B)  in accordance with the degree and
1-35     certificate programs authorized to be offered by the institution or
1-36     unit; and
1-37                       (C)  consistent with the role and mission of the
1-38     university system, if any, to which the institution or unit
1-39     belongs;
1-40                 (2)  the partnership or affiliation is approved by the
1-41     coordinating board; or
1-42                 (3)  the partnership or affiliation is established to
1-43     secure or provide clinical or other similar practical educational
1-44     experience in connection with a course or degree program authorized
1-45     to be offered by the institution or unit.
1-46           SECTION 2.  This Act does not affect a partnership or
1-47     affiliation established before the effective date of this Act.
1-48           SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
1-49     a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
1-50     provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution.  If this
1-51     Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
1-52     Act takes effect September 1, 2001.
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