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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the establishment of a public law school in the Rio |
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Grande Valley. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Subchapter C, Chapter 61, Education Code, is |
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amended by adding Section 61.0905 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 61.0905. RIO GRANDE VALLEY SCHOOL OF LAW. (a) The |
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governing board of a university system may establish and operate, |
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as a professional school of the system, a school of law in Cameron |
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County or Hidalgo County as the governing board considers |
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appropriate. |
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(b) In administering the law school, the governing board may |
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prescribe courses leading to customary degrees offered at other |
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leading American schools of law and may award those degrees. |
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(c) The governing board may assign responsibility for the |
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management of the law school to a general academic teaching |
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institution in the university system. |
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(d) The governing board may accept and administer gifts and |
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grants from any public or private person or entity for the use and |
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benefit of the law school. Notwithstanding any other provision of |
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this section, establishment of a law school under this section is |
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subject to the availability of funding, either through |
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appropriation or from another source. |
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(e) The governing board of a university system that intends |
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to establish a law school under this section shall notify the Texas |
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Higher Education Coordinating Board. If the coordinating board |
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receives notification under this subsection from more than one |
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governing board, the coordinating board shall determine which of |
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those governing boards may establish a law school under this |
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section. The coordinating board must base the determination on the |
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need for a law school in a geographic area, potential student |
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demand, available system resources, the feasibility of the specific |
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proposal of each system, and other criteria the coordinating board |
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considers appropriate. |
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(f) Before the governing board establishes a law school |
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under this section, the governing board shall request the |
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coordinating board to prepare a feasibility study to determine the |
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actions the system must take to obtain accreditation of the law |
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school. The coordinating board shall deliver a copy of the study to |
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the governing board and to the chair of each legislative standing |
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committee with jurisdiction over higher education. |
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SECTION 2. For the purposes of Section 61.0905, Education |
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Code, as added by this Act, no state funds may be appropriated for a |
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state fiscal biennium ending on or before August 31, 2027. |
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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, 2021. |