Relating to the establishment of a public law school in El Paso County.

89(R) HB 3475 - Engrossed version - Bill Text

89R14925 CMO-D

By: Perez of El Paso, Moody,

H.B. No. 3475

González of El Paso, Ordaz,

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to the establishment of a public law school in El Paso

County.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

SECTION 1. Subchapter C, Chapter 61, Education Code, is

amended by adding Section 61.0907 to read as follows:

Sec.

61.0907.

EL PASO 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 El Paso 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 may accept and administer gifts and

grants from any public or private person or entity for the use and

benefit of the law school.

Notwithstanding any other provision of

this section, establishment of a law school is subject to the

availability of funding, either through appropriation or from

another source.

(e)

The governing board of a university system that intends

to establish a law school under this section shall notify the Texas

Higher Education Coordinating Board. If the coordinating board

receives notice from a governing board under this subsection, the

coordinating board shall provide a statement regarding that

intention on its Internet website and provide the other governing

boards with a reasonable opportunity to notify the coordinating

board of an intent to establish a law school under this section. If

the coordinating board receives notice from more than one governing

board under this subsection, the coordinating board, based on

community and student input, available system resources, the

feasibility of the specific proposal of each system, and other

appropriate criteria, shall determine which of those governing

boards may establish a law school under this section.

(f)

Before a 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.

(g)

Not more than one law school may be established under

this section.

SECTION 2. Subchapter B, Chapter 55, Education Code, is

amended by adding Section 55.178 to read as follows:

Sec.

55.178.

UNIVERSITY SYSTEM ESTABLISHING EL PASO SCHOOL

OF LAW; ADDITIONAL BONDS. (a) In addition to the other authority

granted by this subchapter, the governing board of the university

system that establishes an El Paso school of law under Section

61.0907 may acquire, purchase, construct, improve, renovate,

enlarge, or equip property, buildings, structures, or other

facilities, including roads and related infrastructure, for the law

school for projects 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 $40 million.

(b)

The governing board 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 system described by Subsection (a), 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 governing

board to meet its obligations under this section, the board may

transfer funds among institutions, branches, and entities of the

university system described by Subsection (a) to ensure the most

equitable and efficient allocation of available resources for each

institution, branch, or entity to carry out its duties and

purposes.

SECTION 3. (a) If this Act receives a vote of at least

two-thirds of the membership of each house of the legislature, and

if an El Paso school of law is created by The University of Texas

System or The Texas A&M University System under Section 61.0907,

Education Code, as added by this Act, the El Paso school of law is

entitled to participate in the funding provided by Section 18,

Article VII, Texas Constitution, for the appropriate university

system.

(b) If this Act receives a vote of at least two-thirds of the

membership of each house of the legislature, and if an El Paso

school of law is created under Section 61.0907, Education Code, as

added by this Act, by a university system other than a system

described by Subsection (a) of this section, the El Paso school of

law is entitled to participate in the funding provided by Section

17, Article VII, Texas Constitution. Before the first periodic

allocation of funding under Section 17, Article VII, is made that

includes the El Paso school of law, the legislature may reallocate

the total amount allocated to institutions under that section to

allow for the allocation to the law school.

SECTION 4. 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, 2025.