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.