82R741 JRJ-F
By: Price H.B. No. 1420
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to limitations on the number of courses that students may
drop under certain circumstances at certain public institutions of
higher education.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Sections 51.907(a), (b), (c), (d), and (e),
Education Code, are amended to read as follows:
(a) In this section, "governing board," "general academic
teaching institution," and "medical and dental unit" ["institution
of higher education"] have the meanings assigned by Section 61.003.
(b) This section applies only to an undergraduate student
who drops a course at a general academic teaching institution or
medical and dental unit [an institution of higher education] and
only if:
(1) the student was able to drop the course without
receiving a grade or incurring an academic penalty;
(2) the student's transcript indicates or will
indicate that the student was enrolled in the course; and
(3) the student is not dropping the course in order to
withdraw from the institution.
(c) Except as provided under rules adopted under Subsection
(d), a general academic teaching institution or medical and dental
unit [an institution of higher education] may not permit a student
to drop more than six courses, including any course a transfer
student has dropped at another general academic teaching
institution or medical and dental unit [of higher education], under
circumstances described by Subsection (b).
(d) The governing board of a general academic teaching
institution or medical and dental unit [an institution of higher
education] may adopt a policy under which the maximum number of
courses a student is permitted to drop under circumstances
described by Subsection (b) is less than the maximum number of
courses that a student may drop under Subsection (c).
(e) The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board shall
adopt rules under which a general academic teaching institution or
medical and dental unit [an institution of higher education] shall
permit a student to drop more courses under circumstances described
by Subsection (b) than the number of courses permitted to be dropped
under Subsection (c) or under a policy adopted under Subsection (d)
if the student shows good cause for dropping more than that number,
including a showing of:
(1) a severe illness or other debilitating condition
that affects the student's ability to satisfactorily complete a
course;
(2) the student's responsibility for the care of a
sick, injured, or needy person if the provision of care affects the
student's ability to satisfactorily complete a course;
(3) the death of a person who:
(A) is considered to be a member of the student's
family under a rule adopted under this subsection for purposes of
this subdivision; or
(B) is otherwise considered to have a
sufficiently close relationship to the student under a rule adopted
under this subsection that the person's death is considered to be a
showing of good cause; or
(4) the active duty service as a member of the Texas
National Guard or the armed forces of the United States of:
(A) the student; or
(B) a person who is considered to be a member of
the student's family under a rule adopted under this subsection for
purposes of this subdivision.
SECTION 2. The change in law made by this Act applies
beginning with the fall 2011 semester.
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, 2011.