| 6 | 4 | | AN ACT |
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| 7 | 5 | | relating to Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board fees for the |
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| 8 | 6 | | administration of certificates of authorization and certificates |
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| 9 | 7 | | of authority issued to certain postsecondary educational |
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| 10 | 8 | | institutions; authorizing fees. |
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| 11 | 9 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 12 | 10 | | SECTION 1. Section 61.303, Education Code, is amended by |
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| 13 | 11 | | adding Subsections (g) and (h) to read as follows: |
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| 14 | 12 | | (g) The board by rule may establish a fee to be charged by |
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| 15 | 13 | | the board to cover all or a portion of the board's costs associated |
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| 16 | 14 | | with: |
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| 17 | 15 | | (1) issuing, maintaining, or revising a certificate of |
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| 18 | 16 | | authorization or certificate of authority; and |
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| 19 | 17 | | (2) maintaining a repository for student transcripts |
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| 20 | 18 | | from closed institutions that were authorized to operate under a |
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| 21 | 19 | | certificate of authorization or certificate of authority. |
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| 22 | 20 | | (h) The amount of a fee established under Subsection (g) may |
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| 23 | 21 | | not exceed the following: |
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| 24 | 22 | | (1) $1,500 for an initial approval; |
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| 25 | 23 | | (2) $750 for an annual review; |
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| 26 | 24 | | (3) $250 for an institution name change; |
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| 27 | 25 | | (4) $250 for a degree, program, or credential-level |
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| 28 | 26 | | change; |
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| 29 | 27 | | (5) $250 for a new degree, program, or credential |
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| 30 | 28 | | level; |
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| 31 | 29 | | (6) $500 for an accrediting agency change; or |
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| 32 | 30 | | (7) $500 for an ownership or governance change. |
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| 33 | 31 | | SECTION 2. Section 61.315, Education Code, is amended to |
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| 34 | 32 | | read as follows: |
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| 35 | 33 | | Sec. 61.315. AGENTS AND RECORDS; TRANSCRIPT REPOSITORY AND |
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| 36 | 34 | | RELATED FEES. (a) The authorized or certified institutions may be |
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| 37 | 35 | | required to furnish a list of their agents to the board, and to |
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| 38 | 36 | | maintain records of students enrolled, credits awarded, and degrees |
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| 39 | 37 | | awarded in a manner specified by the board. |
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| 40 | 38 | | (b) The board shall maintain a repository for student |
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| 41 | 39 | | transcripts from closed institutions that were authorized to |
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| 42 | 40 | | operate under a certificate of authorization or certificate of |
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| 43 | 41 | | authority using fees received by the board from institutions |
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| 44 | 42 | | operating under those certificates as part of the institutions' |
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| 45 | 43 | | initial and ongoing authorization to operate. If those fees are not |
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| 46 | 44 | | sufficient to cover the cost of maintaining the repository, the |
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| 47 | 45 | | board may discontinue its maintenance of the repository, unless |
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| 48 | 46 | | adequate state funding is provided for that maintenance. The board |
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| 49 | 47 | | may charge a fee to students requesting transcript copies |
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| 50 | 48 | | maintained in the repository, not to exceed the cost of retrieving, |
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| 51 | 49 | | reproducing, and sending the transcript copies. A closed or |
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| 52 | 50 | | closing institution shall provide its student transcript records to |
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| 53 | 51 | | the board in the format specified by the board for inclusion in the |
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| 54 | 52 | | repository. |
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| 55 | 53 | | SECTION 3. Subchapter H, Chapter 61, Education Code, is |
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| 56 | 54 | | amended by adding Section 61.4031 to read as follows: |
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| 57 | 55 | | Sec. 61.4031. CERTIFICATE OF AUTHORIZATION OR AUTHORITY |
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| 58 | 56 | | FEE. (a) The board by rule may establish a fee to be charged by the |
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| 59 | 57 | | board to cover all or a portion of the board's costs associated |
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| 60 | 58 | | with: |
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| 61 | 59 | | (1) issuing, maintaining, or revising a certificate of |
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| 62 | 60 | | authorization or certificate of authority issued under a rule |
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| 63 | 61 | | adopted under this subchapter; and |
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| 64 | 62 | | (2) maintaining a repository for student transcripts |
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| 65 | 63 | | from closed institutions that were authorized to operate under a |
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| 66 | 64 | | certificate of authorization or certificate of authority issued |
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| 67 | 65 | | under a rule adopted under this subchapter. |
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| 68 | 66 | | (b) The amount of a fee established under this section may |
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| 69 | 67 | | not exceed the following: |
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| 70 | 68 | | (1) $1,500 for an initial approval; |
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| 71 | 69 | | (2) $750 for an annual review; |
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| 72 | 70 | | (3) $250 for an institution name change; |
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| 73 | 71 | | (4) $250 for a degree, program, or credential-level |
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| 74 | 72 | | change; |
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| 75 | 73 | | (5) $250 for a new degree, program, or credential |
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| 76 | 74 | | level; |
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| 77 | 75 | | (6) $500 for an accrediting agency change; or |
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| 78 | 76 | | (7) $500 for an ownership or governance change. |
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| 79 | 77 | | SECTION 4. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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| 80 | 78 | | a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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| 81 | 79 | | provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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| 82 | 80 | | Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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| 83 | 81 | | Act takes effect September 1, 2015. |
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