Texas 2017 - 85th Regular

Texas House Bill HB654 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

Old	New	Differences
1	1	85R4278 KSD-F
2	2	By: Clardy, et al. H.B. No. 654
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5	5	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
6	6	AN ACT
7	7	relating to the elimination of certain formula funding and dropped
8	8	course restrictions for returning adult students at public
9	9	institutions of higher education and to the tuition rate that may be
10	10	charged to those students for certain excessive undergraduate
11	11	hours.
12	12	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
13	13	SECTION 1. Section 51.907, Education Code, is amended by
14	14	adding Subsection (e-1) to read as follows:
15	15	(e-1) The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board shall
16	16	adopt rules under which an institution of higher education shall
17	17	permit a student to drop one additional course under circumstances
18	18	described by Subsection (b) than the number of courses permitted to
19	19	be dropped under Subsection (c) or under a policy adopted under
20	20	Subsection (d) if the student:
21	21	(1) has reenrolled at the institution following a
22	22	break in enrollment covering the 24-month period preceding the
23	23	first class day of the initial semester or other academic term of
24	24	the student's reenrollment; and
25	25	(2) successfully completed at least 50 semester credit
26	26	hours of course work at the institution before that break in
27	27	enrollment.
28	28	SECTION 2. Section 54.014, Education Code, is amended by
29	29	adding Subsection (b-1) to read as follows:
30	30	(b-1) Notwithstanding Subsection (a), an institution of
31	31	higher education may not charge tuition to a resident undergraduate
32	32	student at a higher rate under that subsection for semester credit
33	33	hours for courses taken by the student that are required to be
34	34	included by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board in the
35	35	formulas established under Section 61.059 by application of Section
36	36	61.0595(f-1).
37	37	SECTION 3. Section 61.0595, Education Code, is amended by
38	38	adding Subsection (f-1) to read as follows:
39	39	(f-1) In the formulas established under Section 61.059, the
40	40	board shall include without consideration of Subsection (a) or (e)
41	41	funding for the first 15 additional semester credit hours earned by
42	42	a student who:
43	43	(1) has reenrolled at the institution following a
44	44	break in enrollment covering the 24-month period preceding the
45	45	first class day of the initial semester or other academic term of
46	46	the student's reenrollment; and
47	47	(2) successfully completed at least 50 semester credit
48	48	hours of course work at the institution before that break in
49	49	enrollment.
50	50	SECTION 4. Section 51.907, Education Code, as amended by
51	51	this Act, applies beginning with the 2017 fall semester.
52	52	SECTION 5. The changes in law made by this Act to Section
53	53	61.0595, Education Code, apply beginning with funding
54	54	recommendations made under Section 61.059, Education Code, for the
55	55	state fiscal biennium beginning September 1, 2019.
56	56	SECTION 6. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
57	57	a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
58	58	provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
59	59	Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
60	60	Act takes effect September 1, 2017.