81R152 TAD-D
 
  By: Branch H.B. No. 59
 
 
 
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, 2010, 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.  Subchapter B, Chapter 55, Education Code, is
  amended by adding Section 55.1775 to read as follows:
         Sec. 55.1775.  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, 2012, the system's
  authority to issue bonds for the law school under this section
  expires on that date.
         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, 2009.