Bill Text: TX HB53 | 2011-2012 | 82nd Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: Relating to the establishment of a public law school in the Rio Grande Valley.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2011-02-09 - Referred to Higher Education [HB53 Detail]
Download: Texas-2011-HB53-Introduced.html
82R1992 KJM-D | ||
By: Martinez | H.B. No. 53 |
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relating to the establishment of a public law school in the Rio | ||
Grande Valley. | ||
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
SECTION 1. Subchapter C, Chapter 61, Education Code, is | ||
amended by adding Section 61.0905 to read as follows: | ||
Sec. 61.0905. RIO GRANDE VALLEY SCHOOL OF LAW. (a) The | ||
governing board of a university system may establish and operate as | ||
a professional school of the system a school of law in Cameron | ||
County or Hidalgo County as the governing board considers | ||
appropriate. | ||
(b) In administering the law school, the governing board may | ||
prescribe courses leading to customary degrees offered at other | ||
leading American schools of law and may award those degrees. | ||
(c) The governing board may assign responsibility for the | ||
management of the law school to a general academic teaching | ||
institution in the university system. | ||
(d) The governing board of a university system that intends | ||
to establish a law school under this section shall notify the | ||
coordinating board. If the coordinating board receives | ||
notification under this subsection from more than one governing | ||
board, the coordinating board shall, based on the need for a law | ||
school in a geographic area, potential student demand, available | ||
system resources, the feasibility of the specific proposal of each | ||
system, and other appropriate criteria, determine which of those | ||
governing boards may establish a law school under this section. | ||
(e) Before the governing board establishes a law school | ||
under this section, the governing board shall request the | ||
coordinating board to prepare a feasibility study to determine the | ||
actions the system must take to obtain accreditation of the law | ||
school. The coordinating board shall deliver a copy of the study to | ||
the governing board and to the chair of each legislative standing | ||
committee with jurisdiction over higher education. | ||
SECTION 2. 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, 2011. |