By: Shapiro S.B. No. 1472
(In the Senate - Filed March 10, 2011; March 22, 2011, read
first time and referred to Committee on Economic Development;
April 26, 2011, reported adversely, with favorable Committee
Substitute by the following vote: Yeas 4, Nays 0; April 26, 2011,
sent to printer.)
COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR S.B. No. 1472 By: Harris
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to the coordinated dissemination of online information
regarding the operation and performance of certain for-profit
educational entities.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Subchapter C, Chapter 61, Education Code, is
amended by adding Section 61.0778 to read as follows:
Sec. 61.0778. ONLINE INFORMATION REGARDING CERTAIN
FOR-PROFIT EDUCATIONAL ENTITIES. (a) In this section,
"commission" means the Texas Workforce Commission.
(b) The board and commission jointly shall develop a
comprehensive strategy to improve and coordinate the dissemination
of online information regarding the operation and performance of
for-profit private postsecondary educational institutions and
for-profit career schools or colleges in this state. As part of the
comprehensive strategy, the board and the commission shall compile,
share, and compare existing data and other applicable information
under the control of each agency and shall organize that
information as nearly as possible according to the categories of
information required for the online resumes of lower-division
public institutions under Section 51A.103.
(c) For each for-profit private postsecondary educational
institution or for-profit career school or college that the board
or commission identifies as doing business in this state, the board
and commission shall each publish on the agency's Internet website
any information described by Subsection (b) that the board and
commission jointly determine would assist a person in deciding
whether to enroll in the institution, school, or college or in
identifying or choosing which institution, school, or college to
attend. The websites must:
(1) present information regarding those institutions,
schools, and colleges in a manner that is:
(A) to the extent practicable, consistent among
the institutions, schools, and colleges; and
(B) easily accessible and readily understandable
to the public; and
(2) allow for interactive online reporting of
complaints from the public about a specific institution, school, or
college.
(d) The board and commission shall each refer any complaint
the agency receives under Subsection (c)(2) regarding the operation
and performance of a for-profit private postsecondary educational
institution or for-profit career school or college to the consumer
protection division of the attorney general's office for timely
investigation and resolution of the complaint.
SECTION 2. 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.
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