CARLISLE -- The Dickinson School of Law Board of Governors approved the final draft of a new dual-campus plan between the law school and Penn State by a 20-14 vote.

At Saturday's meeting, board attorney Jack Stover said the agreement includes a June 1 deadline for Gov. Ed Rendell to pledge $25 million in state funds for renovation of the Carlisle campus and for construction of a law school at University Park.

If Rendell does not supply funding by the deadline, the new merger agreement will become null and void and the original agreement signed between the two schools in 1997 will stand, he added.

The new agreement replaces the existing 1997 agreement, which states that the law school's permanent location will be in Carlisle, unless otherwise agreed on by the Board of Governors and the Penn State Board of Trustees. Under the new agreement, tentatively approved Jan. 15, Penn State has the power to close the Carlisle campus after June 30, 2015.

Stover said Rendell also has the power to set his own terms for the $25 million allocation, such as extending the university's guarantee to keep Carlisle open beyond 2015.

Penn State can choose to accept or reject any proposed changes to the agreement made by Rendell. The new agreement will be thrown out in favor of the 1997 agreement if Penn State does not accept Rendell's changes.

Rendell spokesman Abe Amoros said he could not speculate what terms, if any, Rendell would add to the agreement. He said a meeting between Rendell and the board will occur in the "coming weeks" but no specific date has been set.

Board Chairman H. Laddie Montague Jr. said no meetings would occur until after a pending lawsuit, filed Feb. 3 by board members G. Thomas Miller, Leslie Anne Miller and emeritus board member Thomas Monteverde, has been settled.

The three board members filed the suit because they feel the new agreement violates the 1997 merger agreement because it allows the Carlisle campus to be closed after 2015, and because it would dissolve the Board of Governors.

If Cumberland County Judge Edward Guido rules Friday in favor of the Millers and Monteverde, Saturday's vote could be overturned.

Although the agreement's final draft passed by a greater majority than January's 17-14 vote, some board members expressed strong feelings against it.

G. Thomas Miller called for amendments to five sections of the agreement, including the sections named in the lawsuit.

"By voting for this agreement, we will be walking away from the duties we signed up for when we agreed to serve on this board," he said.

All of Miller's proposed amendments were denied by votes of the 34 board members present at the meeting.

Montague said the 2015 date was originally added to the agreement to benefit the Carlisle campus.

"The provision was originally added to give the Carlisle campus a chance to flourish after renovation," he said. "The term has been totally turned on its head since then and it is my understanding that Penn State has no intention of closing the school after 10 years."

Penn State Vice President for Finance and Business Gary Schultz, who represented the university at the meeting, supported Montague's statement.

"The Penn State Board of Trustees will make the best decision for the law school and its students after 2015," he said. "It does not mean that it will close the Carlisle school, but some have interpreted it that way."

Board member Sandor Yelen also questioned Penn State's plans for two possible locations of the University Park law school.

"What disturbs me is that Penn State has already taken plans to build a new law school before we approve the final agreement," he said.

Schultz said any potential locations are part of Penn State's master plan, which was drafted in 1998, before it was decided a law school would definitely be built at University Park.