DIGEST
The digest printed below was prepared by House Legislative Services. It constitutes no part of
the legislative instrument. The keyword, one-liner, abstract, and digest do not constitute part of
the law or proof or indicia of legislative intent. [R.S. 1:13(B) and 24:177(E)]
Carter HB No. 509
Abstract: Relative to TOPS eligibility, provides a new high school core curriculum beginning
with students graduating in 2017-18 school year; prohibits the TOPS administering
agency from updating any course name or establishing any course equivalency for any
course included in the definition of core curriculum.
Relative to the high school core curriculum that certain students must successfully complete to be
eligible for an Opportunity, Performance, or Honors award pursuant to the Taylor Opportunity
Program for Students (TOPS):
Present law provides that to be eligible for these awards, a student who graduates from a La.
public or approved nonpublic high school, in addition to meeting other eligibility requirements,
must successfully complete a specific minimum number of units of specified course work that
constitutes a core curriculum, as follows:
(1)Students graduating in the 2012-2013 school year: At least 17-½ units.
(2)Students graduating in the 2013-2014 school year and thereafter: At least 19 units.
Proposed law:
(1) Limits the applicability of core curriculum requirements that begin with 2013-14
graduates to students graduating through the 2016-17 school year .
(2)Maintains a 19-unit requirement for students graduating in 2017-18 and thereafter but
revises the course work that constitutes a core curriculum for such students.
Present law provides that the administering agency of present law relative to TOPS is the La.
Student Financial Assistance Commission. Proposed law retains present law.
Present law requires the administering agency to provide by rule guidelines and procedures by
which it may update the course name and establish course equivalencies for any course included
in the definition of core curriculum provided by present law and provides that such guidelines
and procedures shall include the following requirements:
(1)Any such course name change or equivalency establishment shall be done by agency rule. (2)Prior to issuing a notice of intent to consider any such rule, the administering agency shall
consult with and seek written comments and recommendations of the State Bd. of
Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE) and the Bd. of Regents.
Proposed law repeals present law and instead prohibits the administering agency from updating
any course name and establishing any course equivalency for any course included in any
definition of core curriculum provided by present law.
(Amends R.S. 17:3048.1(A)(1)(e); Adds R.S. 17:3048.1(A)(6); Repeals R.S. 17:3048.1(C)(1)(e))