Bill Text: TX SB187 | 2025-2026 | 89th Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: Relating to reporting and providing information regarding discrimination and harassment based on race, color, or ethnicity at public institutions of higher education.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced) 2025-02-03 - Referred to Education K-16 [SB187 Detail]
Download: Texas-2025-SB187-Introduced.html
| 89R3788 KJE-D | ||
| By: Menéndez | S.B. No. 187 | |
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| relating to reporting and providing information regarding | ||
| discrimination and harassment based on race, color, or ethnicity at | ||
| public institutions of higher education. | ||
| BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
| SECTION 1. Subchapter Z, Chapter 51, Education Code, is | ||
| amended by adding Section 51.9795 to read as follows: | ||
| Sec. 51.9795. REPORTING AND INFORMATION REGARDING | ||
| DISCRIMINATION AND HARASSMENT BASED ON RACE, COLOR, OR ETHNICITY. | ||
| (a) In this section, "institution of higher education" has the | ||
| meaning assigned by Section 61.003. | ||
| (b) An institution of higher education shall develop and | ||
| implement a process for students enrolled at the institution to | ||
| submit complaints to the institution regarding incidents of | ||
| discrimination or harassment based on race, color, or ethnicity at | ||
| the institution. The process must include: | ||
| (1) the ability to submit a complaint through an | ||
| Internet website and a hotline maintained by the institution; and | ||
| (2) an option to remain anonymous. | ||
| (c) Each year, an institution of higher education shall | ||
| inform freshman and returning students regarding: | ||
| (1) the institution's policy prohibiting | ||
| discrimination or harassment based on race, color, or ethnicity; | ||
| (2) the process for submitting a complaint regarding | ||
| incidents of discrimination or harassment based on race, color, or | ||
| ethnicity at the institution to: | ||
| (A) the institution; | ||
| (B) the United States Department of Education's | ||
| Office for Civil Rights; and | ||
| (C) the institution's accrediting agency; and | ||
| (3) the number of complaints regarding incidents of | ||
| discrimination or harassment based on race, color, or ethnicity at | ||
| the institution received by each entity described by Subdivision | ||
| (2) during the preceding academic year, to the extent available. | ||
| (d) An institution of higher education shall post in a | ||
| publicly accessible location on the institution's Internet website | ||
| the information described by Subsection (c)(3). | ||
| SECTION 2. This Act applies beginning with the 2025-2026 | ||
| academic year. | ||
| SECTION 3. 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. | ||
