| 1 | A bill to be entitled |
| 2 | An act relating to admission to state universities; |
| 3 | providing the popular name the "Thurgood Marshall |
| 4 | University Opportunity Act"; amending s. 1007.261, F.S.; |
| 5 | authorizing each university to use race as one of the |
| 6 | criteria for admission; amending ss. 1004.39 and 1004.40, |
| 7 | F.S.; deleting a restriction that prohibits the college of |
| 8 | law at Florida International University and the college of |
| 9 | law at Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University from |
| 10 | using race as a preference in the admissions process; |
| 11 | providing an effective date. |
| 12 |
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| 13 | Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: |
| 14 |
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| 15 | Section 1. This act shall be known by the popular name the |
| 16 | "Thurgood Marshall University Opportunity Act." |
| 17 | Section 2. Subsection (11) is added to section 1007.261, |
| 18 | Florida Statutes, to read: |
| 19 | 1007.261 State universities; admissions of students.--Each |
| 20 | university board of trustees is authorized to adopt rules |
| 21 | governing the admission of students, subject to this section and |
| 22 | rules of the State Board of Education. |
| 23 | (11) Each university may use race as one of the criteria |
| 24 | for admission. |
| 25 | Section 3. Subsection (6) of section 1004.39, Florida |
| 26 | Statutes, is amended to read: |
| 27 | 1004.39 College of law at Florida International |
| 28 | University.-- |
| 29 | (6) The college of law at Florida International University |
| 30 | shall be dedicated to providing opportunities for minorities to |
| 31 | attain representation within the legal profession proportionate |
| 32 | to their representation in the general population; however, the |
| 33 | college of law shall not include preferences in the admissions |
| 34 | process for applicants on the basis of race, national origin, or |
| 35 | gender. |
| 36 | Section 4. Subsection (6) of section 1004.40, Florida |
| 37 | Statutes, is amended to read: |
| 38 | 1004.40 College of law at Florida Agricultural and |
| 39 | Mechanical University.-- |
| 40 | (6) The college of law at Florida Agricultural and |
| 41 | Mechanical University shall be dedicated to providing |
| 42 | opportunities for minorities to attain representation within the |
| 43 | legal profession proportionate to their representation in the |
| 44 | general population; however, the college of law shall not |
| 45 | include preferences in the admissions process for applicants on |
| 46 | the basis of race, national origin, or gender. |
| 47 | Section 5. This act shall take effect upon becoming a law. |