Texas 2015 - 84th Regular

Texas House Bill HB61 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

Old	New	Differences
1	1	84R20920 KEL-D
2	2	By: McClendon, Vo, Anchia, Wu, et al. H.B. No. 61
3	3	Substitute the following for H.B. No. 61:
4	4	By: Raney C.S.H.B. No. 61
5	5
6	6
7	7	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
8	8	AN ACT
9	9	relating to a single common course numbering system for public
10	10	institutions of higher education in this state.
11	11	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
12	12	SECTION 1. Section 61.822(b), Education Code, is amended to
13	13	read as follows:
14	14	(b) Each institution of higher education shall adopt a core
15	15	curriculum of not [no] less than 42 semester credit hours,
16	16	including specific courses comprising the curriculum. The core
17	17	curriculum shall be consistent with the single common course
18	18	numbering system approved by the board under Section 61.832(a) and
19	19	with the statement, recommendations, and rules issued by the board.
20	20	An institution may have a core curriculum of other than 42 semester
21	21	credit hours only if approved by the board.
22	22	SECTION 2. Section 61.830, Education Code, is amended to
23	23	read as follows:
24	24	Sec. 61.830. PUBLICATION OF GUIDELINES ADDRESSING TRANSFER
25	25	PRACTICES. In its course catalogs and on its website, each
26	26	institution of higher education shall publish guidelines
27	27	addressing the practices of the institution regarding the transfer
28	28	of course credit. In the guidelines, the institution must use
29	29	[identify a course by using] the single common course numbering
30	30	system as required by Section 61.832 to identify each of its offered
31	31	courses for which a common number designation and course
32	32	description are included by the board in that system [approved by
33	33	the board].
34	34	SECTION 3. Section 61.832, Education Code, is amended to
35	35	read as follows:
36	36	Sec. 61.832. COMMON COURSE NUMBERING SYSTEM. (a) The board
37	37	shall approve a single common course numbering system for
38	38	lower-division courses to facilitate the transfer of those courses
39	39	among institutions of higher education by promoting consistency in
40	40	course designation and identification.
41	41	(b) The board shall solicit input from institutions of
42	42	higher education regarding the development of the single common
43	43	course numbering system.
44	44	(c) Each institution of higher education shall:
45	45	(1) use the approved common course numbering system in
46	46	the institution's guidelines regarding the transfer of course
47	47	credit for each course for which a common number designation and
48	48	course description are included by the board in that system; and
49	49	(2) include the applicable course numbers from the
50	50	approved common course numbering system in its course catalogs and
51	51	other course listings.
52	52	(d) The board may approve only a common course numbering
53	53	system already in common use in this state by one or more
54	54	institutions of higher education.
55	55	(e) [(c)] The board shall cooperate with institutions of
56	56	higher education in any additional development or alteration of the
57	57	common course numbering system approved under Subsection (a),
58	58	including the taxonomy to be used, and in the development of rules
59	59	for the administration and applicability of the system.
60	60	(f) Each institution of higher education must certify
61	61	annually to the board the accuracy of the institution's
62	62	identification, in its course catalogs and other course listings,
63	63	of each course offered by the institution for which a common number
64	64	designation and course description are included by the board in the
65	65	common course numbering system. As part of the certification
66	66	required by this subsection, the institution shall specify each of
67	67	its offered courses for which a common number designation and
68	68	course description are included in that system and each of its
69	69	offered courses for which a common number designation and course
70	70	description are not included in that system. The institution also
71	71	shall include with its certification a current, publicly accessible
72	72	website address at which the institution publishes its guidelines
73	73	regarding the transfer of course credit.
74	74	(g) The board may, based on the board's review of the
75	75	information certified under Subsection (f), recommend corrective
76	76	action to an institution's governing board if the institution fails
77	77	to comply with the requirements of this section. In its next
78	78	legislative appropriations request made to the legislature, the
79	79	board shall identify each institution that fails to comply with the
80	80	board's recommended corrective action.
81	81	(h) Not later than June 1, 2016, the board shall:
82	82	(1) approve a single common course numbering system as
83	83	required by Subsection (a); and
84	84	(2) establish a timetable that requires institutions
85	85	of higher education to phase in the inclusion of the applicable
86	86	course numbers from the approved common course numbering system in
87	87	their individual guidelines regarding the transfer of course credit
88	88	and in their individual course numbering systems as required by
89	89	this section so that each institution fully complies with this
90	90	section for each course that is offered during the 2020-2021
91	91	academic year or a subsequent academic year and for which a common
92	92	number designation and course description are included by the board
93	93	in that system.
94	94	(h-1) Subsection (h) and this subsection expire January 1,
95	95	2022.
96	96	[(d) An institution of higher education shall include in its
97	97	course listings the applicable course numbers from the common
98	98	course numbering system approved by the board under this section.
99	99	For good cause, the board may grant to an institution of higher
100	100	education an exemption from the requirements of this subsection.]
101	101	SECTION 4. (a) Except as provided by Subsection (b) of this
102	102	section, the changes in law made by this Act apply beginning with
103	103	the 2016-2017 academic year.
104	104	(b) The change in law made by this Act in adding Sections
105	105	61.832(f) and (g), Education Code, apply beginning with the
106	106	2020-2021 academic year.
107	107	SECTION 5. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
108	108	a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
109	109	provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
110	110	Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
111	111	Act takes effect September 1, 2015.