S.B. No. 956

	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.  Section 105.001, Education Code, is amended to
	read as follows:
	Sec. 105.001.  UNIVERSITY OF NORTH TEXAS SYSTEM. The
	University of North Texas System is composed of:
	(1)  the University of North Texas;
	(2)  the University of North Texas Health Science
	Center at Fort Worth; [and]
	(3)  the University of North Texas at Dallas; and
	(4)  the University of North Texas at Dallas College of
	Law.
	SECTION 2.  Section 105.151, Education Code, is amended by
	adding Subsection (c-1) and amending Subsection (d) to read as
	follows:
	(c-1)  Venue for a suit filed solely against the University
	of North Texas at Dallas College of Law or against officers or
	employees of the University of North Texas at Dallas College of Law
	is in Dallas County.
	(d)  In case of a conflict between Subsection (a), (b), [or]
	(c), or (c-1) and any other law, Subsection (a), (b), [or] (c), or
	(c-1) controls.
	SECTION 3.  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 COLLEGE 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:
	(1)  is considered an institution of higher education
	under Section 61.003 for all purposes under other law; and
	(2)  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.
	(e)  The board may solicit and accept gifts, grants, and
	donations from any public or private source for the purposes of this
	section.
	SECTION 4.  Subchapter C, Chapter 61, Education Code, is
	amended by adding Section 61.0665 to read as follows:
	Sec. 61.0665.  STUDY REGARDING ESTABLISHMENT OF LAW SCHOOLS.
	(a)  The board shall conduct a study to examine the need for and
	feasibility of establishing a public law school in areas of the
	state where a law school is not located, including the Texas-Mexico
	border region. The study shall be conducted using the same criteria
	used for determining the need for and feasibility of establishing
	the University of North Texas at Dallas College of Law.
	(b)  Not later than November 1, 2010, the board shall report
	the results of the study required by Subsection (a) to the governor,
	lieutenant governor, speaker of the house of representatives, and
	presiding officer of each legislative standing committee with
	primary jurisdiction over higher education.
	(c)  This section expires January 31, 2011.
	SECTION 5.  If this Act receives a vote of at least
	two-thirds of the membership of each house of the legislature, the
	University of North Texas at Dallas College of Law created under
	Section 105.502, Education Code, as added by this Act, is entitled
	to participate in the funding provided by Section 17, Article VII,
	Texas Constitution.
	SECTION 6.  This Act does not make an appropriation. This
	Act takes effect only if a specific appropriation for the
	implementation of the Act is provided in a general appropriations
	act of the 81st Legislature.
	SECTION 7.  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.
	______________________________	______________________________
	President of the Senate	Speaker of the House
	I hereby certify that S.B. No. 956 passed the Senate on
	April 15, 2009, by the following vote:  Yeas 29, Nays 1;
	May 18, 2009, Senate refused to concur in House amendments and
	requested appointment of Conference Committee; May 25, 2009, House
	granted request of the Senate; May 31, 2009, Senate adopted
	Conference Committee Report by the following vote:  Yeas 30,
	Nays 1.
	______________________________
	Secretary of the Senate
	I hereby certify that S.B. No. 956 passed the House, with
	amendments, on May 14, 2009, by the following vote:  Yeas 108,
	Nays 35, one present not voting; May 25, 2009, House granted
	request of the Senate for appointment of Conference Committee;
	May 31, 2009, House adopted Conference Committee Report by the
	following vote:  Yeas 112, Nays 24, one present not voting.
	______________________________
	Chief Clerk of the House
	Approved:
	______________________________
	Date
	______________________________
	Governor