By: West, et al. S.B. No. 105

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 a general academic teaching institution for five years, the board shall administer the law school as a professional school of the system. After that period, the law school shall become a professional school of the University of North Texas at Dallas. Until the law school becomes a professional school of the University of North Texas at Dallas, the law school is entitled to formula funding as if the law school were a professional school of a general academic teaching institution.

(d) Before the board establishes a law school under this section, but not later than June 1, 2008, the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board shall prepare a feasibility study to determine the actions the system must take to obtain accreditation of the law school. The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board shall deliver a copy of the study to the chair of each legislative standing committee or subcommittee with jurisdiction over higher education.

SECTION 2. 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, 2007.