BILL ANALYSIS S.B. 498 By: Seliger Higher Education Committee Report (Unamended) BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE In 2011, the 82nd Legislature enacted legislation that requires four-year institutions of higher education to notify a public community college, public state college, or public technical institute when a transfer student has achieved more than 90 semester credit hours so that the community college, state college, or technical institute can award the student an associate's degree. S.B. 498 reduces the number of semester credit hours required for notification of associate's degree eligibility from 90 semester credit hours to 66 semester credit hours. S.B. 498 amends current law relating to applying credit earned by a student at a general academic teaching institution to an associate's degree at a lower-division institution of higher education previously attended by the student. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution. ANALYSIS SECTION 1. Amends Section 61.833(b), Education Code, to provide that this section applies to a student enrolled in a general academic teaching institution who has earned a cumulative total of at least 66, rather than 90, credit hours for course work successfully completed, among other criteria. SECTION 2. Provides that the change in law made by this Act to Section 61.833(b), Education Code, applies beginning with the 2013 fall semester. Provides that a semester or other academic term before the 2013 fall semester is covered by the applicable law as it existed before the effective date of this Act, and the former law is continued in effect for that purpose. SECTION 3. Effective date: upon passage or September 1, 2013. EFFECTIVE DATE Upon passage, or, if the Act does not receive the necessary vote, the Act takes effect September 1, 2013.
BILL ANALYSIS
S.B. 498
By: Seliger
Higher Education
Committee Report (Unamended)
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE
In 2011, the 82nd Legislature enacted legislation that requires four-year institutions of higher education to notify a public community college, public state college, or public technical institute when a transfer student has achieved more than 90 semester credit hours so that the community college, state college, or technical institute can award the student an associate's degree.
S.B. 498 reduces the number of semester credit hours required for notification of associate's degree eligibility from 90 semester credit hours to 66 semester credit hours.
S.B. 498 amends current law relating to applying credit earned by a student at a general academic teaching institution to an associate's degree at a lower-division institution of higher education previously attended by the student.
RULEMAKING AUTHORITY
It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.
ANALYSIS
SECTION 1. Amends Section 61.833(b), Education Code, to provide that this section applies to a student enrolled in a general academic teaching institution who has earned a cumulative total of at least 66, rather than 90, credit hours for course work successfully completed, among other criteria.
SECTION 2. Provides that the change in law made by this Act to Section 61.833(b), Education Code, applies beginning with the 2013 fall semester. Provides that a semester or other academic term before the 2013 fall semester is covered by the applicable law as it existed before the effective date of this Act, and the former law is continued in effect for that purpose.
SECTION 3. Effective date: upon passage or September 1, 2013.
EFFECTIVE DATE
Upon passage, or, if the Act does not receive the necessary vote, the Act takes effect September 1, 2013.