By Garcia H.B. No. 3607
77R6422 KSD-D
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
1-1 AN ACT
1-2 relating to the transfer of governance of certain public
1-3 institutions of higher education to the University of North Texas
1-4 System and the designation of the University of North Texas as a
1-5 flagship university.
1-6 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-7 SECTION 1. Section 105.01, Education Code, is amended to read
1-8 as follows:
1-9 Sec. 105.01. UNIVERSITY OF NORTH TEXAS. (a) The University
1-10 of North Texas is a coeducational institution of higher education
1-11 located in the city of Denton.
1-12 (b) The board shall maintain and operate the university in a
1-13 manner to ensure that the university achieves the status of a
1-14 nationally recognized doctoral and research university of the
1-15 highest category.
1-16 (c) The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board shall
1-17 consider the status of the university under Subsection (b) in:
1-18 (1) reviewing and approving the courses and programs
1-19 at the university under Section 61.051; and
1-20 (2) preparing funding formulas and recommending
1-21 funding for the university under Section 61.059.
1-22 SECTION 2. Chapter 105, Education Code, is amended by adding
1-23 Subchapter I to read as follows:
1-24 SUBCHAPTER I. OTHER INSTITUTIONS IN THE
2-1 UNIVERSITY OF NORTH TEXAS SYSTEM
2-2 Sec. 105.151. UNIVERSITY OF NORTH TEXAS AT ARLINGTON. (a)
2-3 The University of North Texas at Arlington is a coeducational
2-4 institution of higher education under the management and control of
2-5 the board.
2-6 (b) The board may prescribe courses leading to such
2-7 customary degrees as are offered at leading American universities,
2-8 including baccalaureate, master's, and doctoral degrees and their
2-9 equivalents, and may award those degrees.
2-10 (c) The board may not institute a department, school, or
2-11 degree program at the University of North Texas at Arlington
2-12 without the prior approval of the Texas Higher Education
2-13 Coordinating Board.
2-14 Sec. 105.152. UNIVERSITY OF NORTH TEXAS AT DALLAS. (a) The
2-15 University of North Texas at Dallas is a coeducational institution
2-16 of higher education under the management and control of the board.
2-17 (b) The board may prescribe courses leading to such
2-18 customary degrees as are offered at leading American universities,
2-19 including baccalaureate, master's, and doctoral degrees and their
2-20 equivalents, and may award those degrees.
2-21 (c) The board may not institute a department, school, or
2-22 degree program at the University of North Texas at Dallas without
2-23 the prior approval of the Texas Higher Education Coordinating
2-24 Board.
2-25 (d) The board may accept and administer, on terms and
2-26 conditions the board considers satisfactory, grants or gifts of
2-27 property, including real estate or money, that may be tendered to
3-1 the board in aid of the planning, establishment, conduct, and
3-2 operation of the University of North Texas at Dallas, and in aid of
3-3 the research and teaching at that university. The board may accept
3-4 donations, gifts, and grants, including real estate, buildings,
3-5 libraries, laboratories, apparatus, equipment, records, or money
3-6 from the federal government or any foundation, trust fund,
3-7 corporation, or individual for the use and benefit of the
3-8 University of North Texas at Dallas.
3-9 Sec. 105.153. UNIVERSITY OF NORTH TEXAS SOUTHWESTERN MEDICAL
3-10 CENTER AT DALLAS. (a) The University of North Texas Southwestern
3-11 Medical Center at Dallas is a component institution of the
3-12 University of North Texas System under the management and control
3-13 of the board.
3-14 (b) The board may prescribe courses leading to customary
3-15 degrees and may adopt rules for the operation, control, and
3-16 management of the medical center as may be necessary for its
3-17 conduct as a medical school of the first class.
3-18 (c) The board may accept and administer, on terms and
3-19 conditions the board considers satisfactory, grants and gifts
3-20 tendered to the board in aid of research and teaching at the
3-21 medical school. The board may accept donations, gifts, and grants,
3-22 including real estate, buildings, libraries, laboratories,
3-23 apparatus, equipment, records, and leases, made for the exclusive
3-24 use and benefit of the medical school from the federal government
3-25 or any foundation, trust fund, corporation, or individual. Before
3-26 accepting a gift, grant, or donation of real property, the board
3-27 shall secure the opinion of the attorney general regarding the
4-1 title of the real property to be conveyed.
4-2 (d) The board may lease to a nonprofit charitable,
4-3 scientific, or educational corporation organized under state law or
4-4 to a governmental agency a tract or tracts of land situated in
4-5 Dallas County out of land previously deeded by Southwestern Medical
4-6 Foundation to the state. A lease under this subsection must be on
4-7 the terms, conditions, and provisions and for a period of years
4-8 determined by the board. A lease may not be made for a term of
4-9 more than 99 years.
4-10 Sec. 105.154. PROVISIONS FOR TRANSFER OF INSTITUTIONS TO
4-11 UNIVERSITY OF NORTH TEXAS SYSTEM. (a) This section applies only to
4-12 the institutions of higher education included in this subchapter.
4-13 (b) The governance, operation, management, and control of
4-14 the institutions, along with all right, title, and interest in
4-15 land, buildings, facilities, improvements, equipment, supplies, and
4-16 property comprising those institutions, are transferred to the
4-17 board from The University of Texas System.
4-18 (c) The board shall undertake to govern, operate, manage,
4-19 and control the institutions and all land, buildings, facilities,
4-20 improvements, equipment, supplies, and property comprising those
4-21 institutions pursuant to the powers, duties, and responsibilities
4-22 that are or may be conferred by law upon the board for the
4-23 governance, operation, management, and control of component
4-24 institutions comprising the University of North Texas System.
4-25 (d) The transfer of governance, operation, management, and
4-26 control of the institutions in this subchapter to the board does
4-27 not affect:
5-1 (1) the credit hours earned by students at those
5-2 institutions before the effective date of this Act; or
5-3 (2) the employment status of the administrative,
5-4 faculty, or support staff of those institutions.
5-5 (e) The board and the board of regents of The University of
5-6 Texas System shall enter into a memorandum of understanding with
5-7 one another to implement the transfer of the institutions under
5-8 this section and may take any action necessary for that purpose.
5-9 (f) Any reference in law to:
5-10 (1) "The University of Texas at Arlington" means the
5-11 University of North Texas at Arlington.
5-12 (2) "The University of Texas at Dallas" means the
5-13 University of North Texas at Dallas.
5-14 (3) "The University of Texas Southwestern Medical
5-15 Center at Dallas" means the University of North Texas Southwestern
5-16 Medical Center at Dallas.
5-17 (g) The institutions are no longer entitled to participate
5-18 in the funding provided by Section 18, Article VII, Texas
5-19 Constitution, except that, unless other money is appropriated for
5-20 that purpose, the board of regents of The University of Texas
5-21 System shall pay the remaining principal of and interest on all
5-22 bonds and other obligations previously issued.
5-23 SECTION 3. The following laws are repealed:
5-24 (1) Chapter 68, Education Code;
5-25 (2) Chapter 70, Education Code; and
5-26 (3) Subchapter C, Chapter 74, Education Code.
5-27 SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2001.