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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to permissible locations of open-enrollment charter |
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schools created by certain institutions of higher education. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 12.152, Education Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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Sec. 12.152. AUTHORIZATION. (a) In accordance with this |
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subchapter and Subchapter D, the commissioner may grant a charter |
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on the application of: |
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(1) a public senior college or university for an |
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open-enrollment charter school to operate on the campus of the |
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public senior college or university or, subject to Subsection (b), |
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at another location in any county in this state [in the same county
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in which the campus of the public senior college or university is
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located]; or |
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(2) a public junior college for an open-enrollment |
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charter school to operate on the campus of the public junior college |
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or in the same county in which the campus of the public junior |
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college is located. |
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(b) In evaluating an application submitted under Subsection |
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(a)(1) for a charter to operate an open-enrollment charter school |
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in a county other than the county in which the campus of the |
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applicant is located, the commissioner shall consider: |
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(1) the locations of existing open-enrollment charter |
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schools, as appropriate, to avoid duplication of services in the |
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area in which the applicant proposes to operate the school; and |
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(2) the need of the community in the area in which the |
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applicant proposes to operate the school to have an additional |
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open-enrollment charter school. |
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SECTION 2. Section 12.152, Education Code, as amended by |
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this Act: |
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(1) applies to an application for a new charter |
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pending on or submitted on or after the effective date of this Act; |
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and |
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(2) authorizes a public senior college or university |
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that holds a charter granted before the effective date of this Act |
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to operate a charter school at a location in any county of this |
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state, provided that if the college or university seeks to operate |
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an additional campus and the commissioner's approval of the |
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expansion is required under Chapter 12, Education Code, the college |
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or university must obtain the commissioner's approval. |
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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, 2015. |
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* * * * * |