By: West S.B. No. 1940

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to educational programs and a collaborative educational initiative in the North Texas region.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

SECTION 1. Section 105.001, Education Code, is amended to read as follows:

Sec. 105.001. UNIVERSITY OF NORTH TEXAS SYSTEM. The University of North Texas System is composed of:

(1) the University of North Texas;

(2) the University of North Texas Health Science Center at Fort Worth; [and]

(3) the University of North Texas at Dallas; and

(4) any other institution, entity, or program as may be assigned by specific legislative act to the governance, control, jurisdiction, and management of the board of regents of the system, including:

(A) professional schools; and

(B) programs providing health care provider training and education and health care delivery opportunities.

SECTION 2. Subchapter J, Chapter 105, Education Code, is amended by adding Sections 105.502 and 105.503 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. This subsection expires December 31, 2008.

Sec. 105.503. UNIVERSITY OF NORTH TEXAS SYSTEM SCHOOL OF PHARMACY. (a) The board may establish and operate a school of pharmacy in the city of Dallas as a professional school of the University of North Texas System.

(b) In administering the pharmacy school, the board may prescribe courses leading to customary degrees offered at other leading American schools of pharmacy 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 school of pharmacy as a professional school of the system. After that period, the school of pharmacy shall become a professional school of the University of North Texas at Dallas. Until the school of pharmacy becomes a professional school of the University of North Texas at Dallas, the school of pharmacy is entitled to formula funding as if the school of pharmacy were a professional school of a general academic teaching institution.

(d) Before the board establishes a school of pharmacy under this section, but not later than June 1, 2008, the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board shall conduct a study of the initial implementation of this section and of the actions the system has taken or must take to obtain accreditation of the school of pharmacy. The coordinating board shall deliver a copy of the study to the board of regents and to the chair of each legislative standing committee or subcommittee with primary jurisdiction over higher education. This subsection expires December 31, 2008.

SECTION 3. Chapter 105, Education Code, is amended by adding Subchapter K to read as follows: SUBCHAPTER K. THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH TEXAS HEALTH SCIENCE CENTER HEALTH INSTITUTES OF TEXAS

Sec. 105.551. DEFINITION. In this subchapter, "institute" means the University of North Texas Health Science Center Health Institutes of Texas.

Sec. 105.552. ESTABLISHMENT OF INSTITUTE. The board shall establish the University of North Texas Health Science Center Health Institutes of Texas.

Sec. 105.553. ROLE AND SCOPE OF INSTITUTE. (a) The institute shall include centers created by the board, including the Texas Center for Health Outcomes, the Texas Center for Translational Research, and the Texas Center for Primary and Rural Care.

(b) The institute shall:

(1) provide a discovery-to-delivery approach in developing comprehensive solutions for critical health care problems;

(2) proactively map health issues based on demographics, mortality and morbidity, and health care use through focused collaboration of researchers, caregivers, and policy makers who are employed by the institute and other entities, enabling the institute to compete for funding from governmental and nongovernmental entities; and

(3) build new models for training of health care providers and delivering health care.

(c) Any public or private medical, dental, nursing, or other health care or educational institution selected by the institute may participate in institute programs conducted in the geographic area served by the institute.

(d) The institute may participate in educational programs determined appropriate by the board.

(e) To establish, operate, or participate in the establishment or operation of the institute, the board may execute and carry out one or more affiliation or coordination agreements with any other educational institution or other educational entity in the geographic area served by the institute, including with a traditional or other type of health service provider.

Sec. 105.554. MANAGEMENT OF INSTITUTE. (a) The University of North Texas Health Science Center at Fort Worth shall manage the institute.

(b) The operating costs of the institute shall be paid from:

(1) operating funds of:

(A) the University of North Texas Health Science Center at Fort Worth; or

(B) any other institution participating in the institute; and

(2) available funds of any other public or private entity.

Sec. 105.555. EDUCATION PROVIDED. (a) The institute may provide graduate or other levels of health education in the geographic area served by the institute in connection with any component school or college in the University of North Texas System, as the board determines appropriate.

(b) The institute, in providing education under this subchapter, may:

(1) use community outreach programs to provide persons receiving education at the institute with any necessary experience; and

(2) conduct research programs related to:

(A) areas in which education or outreach programs are provided by the institute; or

(B) public health issues arising in or prevalent in the geographic area served by the institute.

Sec. 105.556. GIFTS AND GRANTS. The board may solicit, accept, and administer gifts and grants from any public or private person for the use and benefit of the institute.

Sec. 105.557. COORDINATING BOARD SUPERVISION. The institute is subject to the continuing supervision of and rules adopted by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board under Chapter 61.

Sec. 105.558. ESTABLISHMENT OF INSTITUTE. (a) The board shall establish the institute only if the legislature appropriates money specifically for that purpose.

(b) This section expires on the last day of the first state fiscal year for which an appropriation is specifically made to establish the institute.

SECTION 4. Subchapter B, Chapter 55, Education Code, is amended by adding Section 55.1765 to read as follows:

Sec. 55.1765. UNIVERSITY OF NORTH TEXAS SYSTEM; ADDITIONAL BONDS. (a) In addition to the other authority granted by this subchapter, the board of regents of the University of North Texas System may acquire, purchase, construct, improve, renovate, enlarge, or equip property, buildings, structures, or other facilities, including roads and related infrastructure, for the law school established in the city of Dallas by the University of North Texas System, to be financed by the issuance of bonds in accordance with this subchapter, including bonds issued in accordance with a systemwide revenue financing program and secured as provided by that program, in an aggregate principal amount not to exceed $30 million.

(b) The board of regents may pledge irrevocably to the payment of the bonds authorized by this section all or any part of the revenue funds of an institution, branch, or entity of the University of North Texas System, including student tuition charges. The amount of a pledge made under this subsection may not be reduced or abrogated while the bonds for which the pledge is made, or bonds issued to refund those bonds, are outstanding.

(c) If sufficient funds are not available to the board of regents to meet its obligations under this section, the board may transfer funds among institutions, branches, and entities of the University of North Texas System to ensure the most equitable and efficient allocation of available resources for each institution, branch, or entity to carry out its duties and purposes.

(d) Notwithstanding Subsection (a), the University of North Texas System may not issue bonds under this section for facilities at the law school established by the system until the date that the law school receives provisional or other appropriate accreditation by a recognized accrediting agency, as defined by Section 61.003. If the law school does not receive the provisional or other appropriate accreditation by January 1, 2010, the system's authority to issue bonds for the law school under this section expires on that date.

SECTION 5. Subchapter A, Chapter 68, Education Code, is amended by adding Section 68.07 to read as follows:

Sec. 68.07. WORKFORCE SHORTAGE INITIATIVE. (a) The board shall establish the workforce shortage initiative as a program of the university to increase student interest and enrollment in critical fields having workforce shortages, such as nursing, engineering, and mathematics and science education.

SECTION 6. Chapter 70, Education Code, is amended by adding Section 70.05 to read as follows:

Sec. 70.05. NANOTECHNOLOGY AND BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING. (a) In this section, "center" means The University of Texas at Dallas Center for Advanced Teaching and Research in Frontiers of Nanotechnology and Biomedical Engineering.

(b) The board shall establish The University of Texas at Dallas Center for Advanced Teaching and Research in Frontiers of Nanotechnology and Biomedical Engineering at the university.

(c) The center shall engage in appropriate activities to inspire students to study mathematics, science, and engineering by first-hand interactions in laboratories of established researchers in those fields and to advance human health and economic development through research in critically important fields.

SECTION 7. 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.