| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | |
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| 5 | 5 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 6 | 6 | | AN ACT |
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| 7 | 7 | | relating to the elimination of certain formula funding and dropped |
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| 8 | 8 | | course restrictions for students enrolled in accelerated, |
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| 9 | 9 | | affordable baccalaureate programs at public institutions of higher |
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| 10 | 10 | | education. |
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| 11 | 11 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 12 | 12 | | SECTION 1. Section 51.907, Education Code, is amended by |
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| 13 | 13 | | adding Subsection (b-1) to read as follows: |
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| 14 | 14 | | (b-1) This section does not apply to a student enrolled in |
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| 15 | 15 | | an accelerated baccalaureate program created in collaboration with |
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| 16 | 16 | | the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board that uses a |
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| 17 | 17 | | competency-based model and year-round flat-rate tuition to |
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| 18 | 18 | | facilitate degree completion, as verified by the coordinating |
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| 19 | 19 | | board. |
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| 20 | 20 | | SECTION 2. Section 61.059, Education Code, is amended by |
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| 21 | 21 | | adding Subsection (r) to read as follows: |
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| 22 | 22 | | (r) Notwithstanding any other law, the board may not exclude |
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| 23 | 23 | | from being counted in the hours reported to the Legislative Budget |
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| 24 | 24 | | Board for formula funding contact hours or semester credit hours |
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| 25 | 25 | | for a student's enrollment in a course for which the student has |
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| 26 | 26 | | previously generated formula funding for the same course if the |
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| 27 | 27 | | student is enrolled in an accelerated baccalaureate program created |
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| 28 | 28 | | in collaboration with the board that uses a competency-based model |
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| 29 | 29 | | and year-round flat-rate tuition to facilitate degree completion, |
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| 30 | 30 | | as verified by the board. |
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| 31 | 31 | | SECTION 3. Section 61.0595, Education Code, is amended by |
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| 32 | 32 | | adding Subsection (f-1) to read as follows: |
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| 33 | 33 | | (f-1) In the formulas established under Section 61.059, the |
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| 34 | 34 | | board shall include without consideration of Subsection (a) or (e) |
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| 35 | 35 | | funding for semester credit hours earned by a student who is |
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| 36 | 36 | | enrolled in an accelerated baccalaureate program created by an |
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| 37 | 37 | | institution in collaboration with the board that uses a |
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| 38 | 38 | | competency-based model and year-round flat-rate tuition to |
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| 39 | 39 | | facilitate degree completion, as verified by the board. |
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| 40 | 40 | | SECTION 4. Section 51.907(b-1), Education Code, as added by |
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| 41 | 41 | | this Act, applies beginning with the fall 2017 semester. |
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| 42 | 42 | | SECTION 5. The changes in law made by this Act to Sections |
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| 43 | 43 | | 61.059 and 61.0595, Education Code, apply beginning with funding |
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| 44 | 44 | | recommendations made under Section 61.059, Education Code, for the |
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| 45 | 45 | | state fiscal biennium beginning September 1, 2019. |
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| 46 | 46 | | SECTION 6. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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| 47 | 47 | | a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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| 48 | 48 | | provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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| 49 | 49 | | Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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| 50 | 50 | | Act takes effect September 1, 2017. |
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