By: Zaffirini S.B. No. 1714
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to the release of student academic information by a public
institution of higher education for certain purposes and the manner
in which the information is used.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Subchapter Z, Chapter 51, Education Code, is
amended by adding Section 51.9715 to read as follows:
Sec. 51.9715. RELEASE OF STUDENT ACADEMIC INFORMATION.
(a) An institution of higher education may require the submission
of a signed consent form authorizing the institution to release
academic course, grade, and credit information with each:
(1) application for undergraduate transfer admission
to the institution, if the institution is a general academic
teaching institution, to be used for the purposes of Section
61.833; or
(2) request from a student for a release of the
student's transcript by the institution.
(b) An institution of higher education may release student
information in accordance with Subsection (a) through:
(1) the National Student Clearinghouse; or
(2) a similar national electronic data sharing and
exchange platform operated by an agent of the institution that
meets nationally accepted standards, conventions, and practices.
SECTION 2. Section 61.833, Education Code, is amended by
amending Subsections (a), (b), (c), and (d) and adding Subsections
(c-1), (e), and (f) to read as follows:
(a) In this section,
(1) "lower-division institution of higher education"
means a public junior college, public state college, or public
technical institute; and
(2) "reverse transfer data sharing platform" means
(i) the National Student Clearinghouse; or
(ii) a similar national electronic data sharing
and exchange platform operated by an agent of the institution that
meets nationally accepted standards, conventions, and practices.
(b) Subsection (c)[This section] applies to a student
enrolled in a general academic teaching institution who:
(1) transferred to the institution from or previously
attended a lower-division institution of higher education;
(2) earned at least 30 credit hours for course work
successfully completed at the lower-division institution of higher
education; [and]
(3) has earned a cumulative total of at least 66 credit
hours for course work successfully completed; and[.]
(4) has not submitted a consigned consent form by the
method described in Section 51.9715(a).
(c) As soon as practicable after a student who is enrolled
in a general academic teaching institution has met the criteria
established by Subsection (b)(3), the institution by e-mail or
other reasonable method shall request authorization from the
student for the institution to release the student's academic
course, grade, and credit information [transcript] to each [the]
lower-division institution of higher education that the student
previously attended or to a reverse transfer data sharing platform
for the purpose of determining whether the student has earned the
credits required for an associate degree awarded by a [the]
lower-division institution of higher education. On receipt of a
student's authorization under this subsection, the general
academic teaching institution shall release the student's academic
course, grade, and credit information [transcript] to the
lower-division institution of higher education or to a reverse
transfer data sharing platform.
(c-1) After a student who has submitted a consigned consent
form by the method described in Section 51.9715(a) completes a
semester or term at a general academic teaching institution, the
institution by the method described in Section 51.9715(b) shall
release the student's academic course, grade, and credit
information to a lower-division institution of higher education
that the student previously attended for the purpose of determining
whether the student has earned the credits required for an
associate degree awarded by the lower-division institution of
higher education.
(d) After receiving [a] student information [transcript]
from a general academic teaching institution under Subsection (c)
or Subsection (c-1), a lower-division institution of higher
education shall review the information [transcript] and, if the
lower-division institution of higher education determines the
student has earned the credits required to receive an associate
degree awarded by the lower-division institution of higher
education, may award the student the degree.
(e) Nothing in this section affects the ability of a
lower-division institution of higher education to determine the
course work required to earn an associate degree awarded by that
institution.
(f) Annually, each lower-division institution of higher
education shall produce a report recording the number of degrees
awarded by the institution in the previous academic year under this
section. An institution shall:
(1) make the report publicly available; and
(2) submit the information to a reverse transfer data
sharing platform.
SECTION 3. (a) The changes in law made by this Act apply
beginning with the 2015 fall semester.
(b) For the purpose of administering Section 61.833,
Education Code, as amended by this Act, in regard to a student who
transferred to a general academic teaching institution before the
institution could obtain a signed consent form from the student
under Section 51.9715(a)(1), Education Code, as added by this Act,
the institution shall request authorization from the student for
the institution's release of the student's academic information
under Section 61.833(c), Education Code, as amended by this Act, in
the manner prescribed by that subsection as it existed immediately
before the effective date of this Act.
SECTION 4. 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.