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.