By: Darby (Senate Sponsor - Seliger) H.B. No. 3078
(In the Senate - Received from the House May 4, 2015;
May 5, 2015, read first time and referred to Committee on Higher
Education; May 14, 2015, reported adversely, with favorable
Committee Substitute by the following vote: Yeas 7, Nays 0;
May 14, 2015, sent to printer.)
Click here to see the committee vote
COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR H.B. No. 3078 By: Seliger
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to the creation of an advisory committee to recommend a
uniform pre-nursing curriculum for undergraduate professional
nursing programs offered by public institutions of higher
education.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Subchapter B, Chapter 61, Education Code, is
amended by adding Section 61.0261 to read as follows:
Sec. 61.0261. UNIFORM PRE-NURSING CURRICULUM ADVISORY
COMMITTEE. (a) In this section:
(1) "Pre-nursing curriculum" means a curriculum
designed to prepare students for enrollment in an undergraduate
professional nursing program.
(2) "Undergraduate professional nursing program"
means an educational program for preparing students for initial
licensure as registered nurses.
(b) The Uniform Pre-Nursing Curriculum Advisory Committee
is created to develop and make recommendations on a uniform
pre-nursing curriculum for undergraduate professional nursing
programs offered by institutions of higher education. The advisory
committee consists of at least 16 members as follows:
(1) the commissioner of higher education or the
commissioner's designee;
(2) the executive director of the Texas Board of
Nursing or the executive director's designee;
(3) two representatives of professional nursing
associations, appointed by the board; and
(4) a representative from the undergraduate
professional nursing programs offered by at least 12 institutions
of higher education, appointed by the board in accordance with the
following:
(A) at least three representatives must be from
junior colleges;
(B) at least three representatives must be from
general academic teaching institutions; and
(C) at least three representatives must be from
health science centers.
(c) The members of the advisory committee may not receive
compensation for their service.
(d) The advisory committee shall assess, as of September 1,
2015:
(1) the prerequisite courses that are required for
each undergraduate professional nursing program in this state; and
(2) the ability of a student to use course credit
earned at one institution of higher education to qualify for
consideration for admission to an undergraduate professional
nursing program offered by another institution of higher education.
(e) The advisory committee shall develop and make
recommendations regarding the creation of a uniform pre-nursing
curriculum. Recommendations under this section must specify:
(1) the prerequisite courses that a student must
complete to qualify for consideration for admission to each
undergraduate professional nursing program offered by an
institution of higher education; and
(2) the content for the courses under Subdivision (1).
(f) Not later than December 1, 2016, the advisory committee
shall prepare and submit to the legislature and to each standing
legislative committee with primary jurisdiction over higher
education a report containing the committee's findings under this
section, including the recommended uniform pre-nursing curriculum.
(g) This section expires January 1, 2017.
SECTION 2. Not later than January 1, 2016, the Texas Higher
Education Coordinating Board shall make the appointments to the
Uniform Pre-Nursing Curriculum Advisory Committee required under
Section 61.0261(b), Education Code, as added by this Act.
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, 2015.
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