| 1 | 1 | | 81R7605 JRJ-F |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Shelton, Brown of Brazos H.B. No. 2075 |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | |
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| 5 | 5 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 6 | 6 | | AN ACT |
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| 7 | 7 | | relating to limitations on the number of courses that students may |
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| 8 | 8 | | drop under certain circumstances at certain public institutions of |
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| 9 | 9 | | higher education. |
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| 10 | 10 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 11 | 11 | | SECTION 1. Sections 51.907(a), (b), (c), (d), and (e), |
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| 12 | 12 | | Education Code, are amended to read as follows: |
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| 13 | 13 | | (a) In this section, "governing board," "general academic |
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| 14 | 14 | | teaching institution," and "medical and dental unit" ["institution |
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| 15 | 15 | | of higher education"] have the meanings assigned by Section 61.003. |
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| 16 | 16 | | (b) This section applies only to an undergraduate student |
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| 17 | 17 | | who drops a course at a general academic teaching institution or |
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| 18 | 18 | | medical and dental unit [an institution of higher education] and |
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| 19 | 19 | | only if: |
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| 20 | 20 | | (1) the student was able to drop the course without |
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| 21 | 21 | | receiving a grade or incurring an academic penalty; |
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| 22 | 22 | | (2) the student's transcript indicates or will |
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| 23 | 23 | | indicate that the student was enrolled in the course; and |
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| 24 | 24 | | (3) the student is not dropping the course in order to |
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| 25 | 25 | | withdraw from the institution. |
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| 26 | 26 | | (c) Except as provided under rules adopted under Subsection |
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| 27 | 27 | | (d), a general academic teaching institution or medical and dental |
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| 28 | 28 | | unit [an institution of higher education] may not permit a student |
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| 29 | 29 | | to drop more than six courses, including any course a transfer |
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| 30 | 30 | | student has dropped at another institution [of higher education], |
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| 31 | 31 | | under circumstances described by Subsection (b). |
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| 32 | 32 | | (d) The governing board of a general academic teaching |
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| 33 | 33 | | institution or medical and dental unit [an institution of higher |
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| 34 | 34 | | education] may adopt a policy under which the maximum number of |
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| 35 | 35 | | courses a student is permitted to drop under circumstances |
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| 36 | 36 | | described by Subsection (b) is less than the maximum number of |
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| 37 | 37 | | courses that a student may drop under Subsection (c). |
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| 38 | 38 | | (e) The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board shall |
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| 39 | 39 | | adopt rules under which a general academic teaching institution or |
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| 40 | 40 | | medical and dental unit [an institution of higher education] shall |
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| 41 | 41 | | permit a student to drop more courses under circumstances described |
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| 42 | 42 | | by Subsection (b) than the number of courses permitted to be dropped |
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| 43 | 43 | | under Subsection (c) or under a policy adopted under Subsection (d) |
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| 44 | 44 | | if the student shows good cause for dropping more than that number, |
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| 45 | 45 | | including a showing of: |
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| 46 | 46 | | (1) a severe illness or other debilitating condition |
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| 47 | 47 | | that affects the student's ability to satisfactorily complete a |
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| 48 | 48 | | course; |
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| 49 | 49 | | (2) the student's responsibility for the care of a |
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| 50 | 50 | | sick, injured, or needy person if the provision of care affects the |
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| 51 | 51 | | student's ability to satisfactorily complete a course; |
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| 52 | 52 | | (3) the death of a person who: |
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| 53 | 53 | | (A) is considered to be a member of the student's |
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| 54 | 54 | | family under a rule adopted under this subsection for purposes of |
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| 55 | 55 | | this subdivision; or |
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| 56 | 56 | | (B) is otherwise considered to have a |
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| 57 | 57 | | sufficiently close relationship to the student under a rule adopted |
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| 58 | 58 | | under this subsection that the person's death is considered to be a |
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| 59 | 59 | | showing of good cause; or |
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| 60 | 60 | | (4) the active duty service as a member of the Texas |
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| 61 | 61 | | National Guard or the armed forces of the United States of: |
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| 62 | 62 | | (A) the student; or |
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| 63 | 63 | | (B) a person who is considered to be a member of |
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| 64 | 64 | | the student's family under a rule adopted under this subsection for |
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| 65 | 65 | | purposes of this subdivision. |
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| 66 | 66 | | SECTION 2. The change in law made by this Act applies |
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| 67 | 67 | | beginning with the fall 2009 semester. |
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| 68 | 68 | | SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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| 69 | 69 | | a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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| 70 | 70 | | provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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| 71 | 71 | | Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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| 72 | 72 | | Act takes effect September 1, 2009. |
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