| 1 | 1 | | By: Seliger, et al. S.B. No. 497 |
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| 2 | 2 | | (Branch) |
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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 the number of semester credit hours required to earn an |
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| 8 | 8 | | associate degree at public institutions of higher education. |
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| 9 | 9 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 10 | 10 | | SECTION 1. Subchapter C, Chapter 61, Education Code, is |
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| 11 | 11 | | amended by adding Section 61.05151 to read as follows: |
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| 12 | 12 | | Sec. 61.05151. SEMESTER CREDIT HOURS REQUIRED FOR ASSOCIATE |
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| 13 | 13 | | DEGREE. (a) To earn an associate degree, a student may not be |
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| 14 | 14 | | required by an institution of higher education to complete more |
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| 15 | 15 | | than the minimum number of semester credit hours required for the |
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| 16 | 16 | | degree by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools or its |
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| 17 | 17 | | successor unless the institution determines that there is a |
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| 18 | 18 | | compelling academic reason for requiring completion of additional |
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| 19 | 19 | | semester credit hours for the degree. |
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| 20 | 20 | | (b) The board may review one or more of an institution's |
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| 21 | 21 | | associate degree programs to ensure compliance with this section. |
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| 22 | 22 | | (c) Subsection (a) does not apply to an associate degree |
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| 23 | 23 | | awarded by an institution to a student enrolled in the institution |
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| 24 | 24 | | before the 2015 fall semester. This subsection does not prohibit |
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| 25 | 25 | | the institution from reducing the number of semester credit hours |
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| 26 | 26 | | the student must complete to receive the degree. |
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| 27 | 27 | | SECTION 2. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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| 28 | 28 | | a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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| 29 | 29 | | provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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| 30 | 30 | | Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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| 31 | 31 | | Act takes effect September 1, 2013. |
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