82R2003 JRJ-D
By: Castro H.B. No. 992
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to excess undergraduate credit hours at public
institutions of higher education.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Section 51.907, Education Code, is amended by
amending Subsections (a) and (c) and adding Subsections (g) and (h)
to read as follows:
(a) In this section, "general academic teaching
institution," "governing board," [and] "institution of higher
education," and "public junior college" have the meanings assigned
by Section 61.003.
(c) Except as provided under rules adopted under Subsection
(d) or by Subsection (g), 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 institution of higher
education, under circumstances described by Subsection (b).
(g) In determining the number of courses dropped by a
student for purposes of this section, a general academic teaching
institution may not count a course dropped by a student enrolled in
the institution if:
(1) the student dropped the course while enrolled in a
public junior college; and
(2) the student transferred to the general academic
teaching institution after earning from another institution of
higher education:
(A) at least 30 semester credit hours; or
(B) an associate degree.
(h) An institution of higher education shall provide
written notice to each undergraduate student of the provisions of
this section before the end of the first semester in which the
student is enrolled in the institution.
SECTION 2. Section 61.0595(d), Education Code, is amended
to read as follows:
(d) The following are not counted for purposes of
determining whether the student has previously earned the number of
semester credit hours specified by Subsection (a):
(1) semester credit hours earned by the student before
receiving an associate or [a] baccalaureate degree that has
previously been awarded to the student;
(2) semester credit hours earned by the student by
examination or under any other procedure by which credit is earned
without registering for a course for which tuition is charged;
(3) credit for a remedial education course, a
technical course, a workforce education course funded according to
contact hours, or another course that does not count toward a degree
program at the institution;
(4) semester credit hours earned by the student at a
private institution or an out-of-state institution; and
(5) semester credit hours earned by the student before
graduating from high school and used to satisfy high school
graduation requirements.
SECTION 3. The change in law made by this Act to Section
61.0595, Education Code, applies beginning with the funding
recommendations made under Section 61.059, Education Code, for the
2013-2014 academic year.
SECTION 4. The change in law made by this Act to Section
51.907, Education Code, applies beginning with the fall 2011
semester.
SECTION 5. 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.