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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to admissions to public law schools in this state. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Subchapter Z, Chapter 51, Education Code, is |
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amended by adding Section 51.970 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 51.970. LAW SCHOOL ADMISSIONS. (a) This section |
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applies only to an institution of higher education, as defined by |
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Section 61.003, offering a professional law degree program with |
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respect to which the institution: |
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(1) restricts the number of applicants admitted to the |
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program for an academic year; and |
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(2) for the academic year described by Subdivision |
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(1), denies admission to the program to one or more applicants who: |
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(A) are residents of this state under Subchapter |
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B, Chapter 54; and |
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(B) based on their applications reasonably |
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demonstrate that they are likely to be capable of performing the |
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quality of work necessary to obtain a law degree under the program. |
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(b) For an academic year for which the institution denies |
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program admission to an applicant described by Subsection (a)(2), |
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and regardless of whether a nonresident applicant who enrolls as |
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described by this subsection will pay tuition and fees at resident |
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rates, an institution of higher education to which this section |
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applies may not enroll in the institution's professional law degree |
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program a number of applicants who are not residents of this state |
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under Subchapter B, Chapter 54, that exceeds 10 percent of the total |
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enrollment in the program during that academic year, except as |
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provided by Subsection (c). |
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(c) The institution may enroll in the institution's |
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professional law degree program in an academic year a number of |
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nonresident applicants in a greater percentage than otherwise |
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permitted by Subsection (b), not to exceed 35 percent of the total |
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enrollment in the program for the academic year, if the nonresident |
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students enrolled in the program in excess of the percentage |
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permitted by Subsection (b) are admitted to the program based |
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solely on academic merit. |
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(d) Notwithstanding any other law, the Texas Higher |
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Education Coordinating Board in the formulas established under |
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Section 61.059 for an institution of higher education to which this |
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section applies may not include funding based on the enrollment of a |
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nonresident student in the institution's professional law degree |
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program in violation of this section. |
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SECTION 2. Section 51.970, Education Code, as added by this |
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Act, applies beginning with admissions for the 2008-2009 academic |
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year. |
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SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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Act takes effect September 1, 2007. |