79R6857 JSA-D
By: West, Royce, et al. S.B. No. 730
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to the establishment of a law school in the city of Dallas
by the University of North Texas System.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Subchapter J, Chapter 105, Education Code, is
amended by adding Section 105.502 to read as follows:
Sec. 105.502. UNIVERSITY OF NORTH TEXAS SYSTEM SCHOOL OF
LAW. (a) The board may establish and operate a school of law in the
city of Dallas as a professional school of the University of North
Texas System.
(b) In administering the law school, the board may prescribe
courses leading to customary degrees offered at other leading
American schools of law and may award those degrees.
(c) Until the University of North Texas at Dallas has been
administered as an independent institution of higher education for
five years, the board shall administer the law school as a program
of the University of North Texas System. After that period, the law
school shall become a professional school of the University of
North Texas at Dallas.
SECTION 2. Not later than June 1, 2006, the Texas Higher
Education Coordinating Board shall prepare a report regarding the
establishment of a law school as authorized by Section 105.502,
Education Code, as added by this Act. The report must address the
feasibility of establishing the law school, the actions the
University of North Texas System must take to obtain accreditation
of the law school, and any recommendations the coordinating board
may have regarding the establishment of the law school, including
an implementation schedule. The coordinating board shall deliver a
copy of the statement to the board of regents of the University of
North Texas System and to the chair of each legislative standing
committee or subcommittee with jurisdiction over higher education.
SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
Act takes effect September 1, 2005.