By Van de Putte                                        S.B. No. 903
         77R7702 KSD-F                           
                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-1                                   AN ACT
 1-2     relating to the establishment and use of a women's athletic
 1-3     development fund and a study of women's athletic development
 1-4     practices at institutions of higher education.
 1-5           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 1-6           SECTION 1.  Chapter 51, Education Code, is amended by adding
 1-7     Subchapter V to read as follows:
 1-8              SUBCHAPTER V.  WOMEN'S ATHLETIC DEVELOPMENT FUND
 1-9           Sec. 51.831.  DEFINITIONS.  In this subchapter:
1-10                 (1)  "Board" has the meaning assigned by Section
1-11     61.003.
1-12                 (2)  "Fund" means the women's athletic development fund
1-13     established under this subchapter.
1-14                 (3)  "Institution of higher education" has the meaning
1-15     assigned by Section 61.003.
1-16           Sec. 51.832.  ADMINISTRATION OF FUND.  The women's athletic
1-17     development fund is a fund in the state treasury.  The board shall
1-18     administer the fund.
1-19           Sec. 51.833.  USE OF FUND.  The board shall allocate money in
1-20     the fund to institutions of higher education to support women's
1-21     athletic development programs that are operated by the institution
1-22     on a collaborative basis with one or more public high schools in
1-23     this state.
1-24           Sec. 51.834.  CRITERIA IN SELECTING PROGRAMS.  In selecting
 2-1     programs to be supported with money from the fund, the board shall
 2-2     give priority to programs addressing the needs of public high
 2-3     school students whose economic conditions limit their access to
 2-4     athletic facilities, programs, and opportunities.  The board shall
 2-5     also consider other relevant factors, including whether a program:
 2-6                 (1)  promotes gender equity;
 2-7                 (2)  includes the participation of collegiate-level
 2-8     coaches and athletes, to the extent the participation is allowed by
 2-9     the rules of the national intercollegiate athletic association of
2-10     which the institution of higher education operating the program is
2-11     a member; and
2-12                 (3)  has a history of increasing athletic
2-13     opportunities.
2-14           Sec. 51.835.  FUNDING.  The board may not implement this
2-15     subchapter unless money is specifically appropriated for that
2-16     purpose.
2-17           SECTION 2.  (a)  The Texas Higher Education Coordinating
2-18     Board shall conduct a best practices study of women's athletic
2-19     development programs currently operated by public institutions of
2-20     higher education  in Texas and in other states and shall make its
2-21     findings and recommendations available not later than December 1,
2-22     2002, in a report to the legislature and to the public institutions
2-23     of higher education in this state.
2-24           (b)  The report shall include an analysis of the effect of
2-25     the programs studied under Subsection (a) of this section on
2-26     subsequent student enrollment in and academic performance at public
2-27     or private institutions of higher education.
 3-1           SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2001.