85R26207 SRS-D
By: Rodriguez of Bexar H.B. No. 2156
Substitute the following for H.B. No. 2156:
By: Lozano C.S.H.B. No. 2156
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to the creation by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating
Board of a repository of student transcripts for certain private
postsecondary educational institutions; authorizing fees and
providing administrative penalties.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Section 61.315, Education Code, is amended to
read as follows:
Sec. 61.315. AGENTS AND RECORDS; TRANSCRIPT REPOSITORY FOR
CERTAIN CLOSED INSTITUTIONS AND RELATED FEES. (a) The authorized
or certified institutions may be required to furnish a list of their
agents to the board, and to maintain records of students enrolled,
credits awarded, and degrees awarded in a manner specified by the
board.
(b) The board shall maintain a repository for student
transcripts from closed institutions that were issued a certificate
of authority under Section 61.306 or a certificate of authorization
under Section 61.303. The board may charge a fee to students
requesting transcript copies maintained in the repository, not to
exceed the cost of retrieving, reproducing, and sending the
transcript copies.
(c) An institution that was issued a certificate of
authority under Section 61.306 or a certificate of authorization
under Section 61.303 shall provide its student transcript records
to the board in the format specified by the board for inclusion in
the repository at least biennially and on or immediately before the
date of closing.
(d) The board may adopt rules for the administration of this
section.
SECTION 2. Section 61.316, Education Code, is amended by
adding Subsection (e-2) to read as follows:
(e-2) Any institution that was issued a certificate of
authority under Section 61.306 or a certificate of authorization
under Section 61.303 that fails to provide student transcript
records to the board as required under Section 61.315 shall be
assessed an administrative penalty of not less than $100 or more
than $500 for each student whose transcript was not provided.
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, 2017.