By: West S.B. No. 1782
(In the Senate - Filed March 9, 2017; March 23, 2017, read
first time and referred to Committee on Higher Education;
April 24, 2017, reported adversely, with favorable Committee
Substitute by the following vote: Yeas 7, Nays 0; April 24, 2017,
sent to printer.)
Click here to see the committee vote
COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR S.B. No. 1782 By: West
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to the elimination of certain formula funding and dropped
course restrictions for returning adult students at public
institutions of higher education.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Section 51.907, Education Code, is amended by
adding Subsection (e-1) to read as follows:
(e-1) The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board shall
adopt rules under which an institution of higher education shall
permit a student to drop one additional course under circumstances
described by Subsection (b) than the number of courses permitted to
be dropped under Subsection (c) or under a policy adopted under
Subsection (d) if the student:
(1) has reenrolled at the institution following a
break in enrollment from the institution or another institution of
higher education covering the 24-month period preceding the first
class day of the initial semester or other academic term of the
student's reenrollment; and
(2) successfully completed at least 50 semester credit
hours of course work at an institution of higher education before
that break in enrollment.
SECTION 2. Section 61.059, Education Code, is amended by
adding Subsection (r) to read as follows:
(r) Notwithstanding any other law, the board may not exclude
from the number of semester credit hours reported to the
Legislative Budget Board for formula funding under this section
semester credit hours for any course taken up to three times by a
student who:
(1) has reenrolled at an institution of higher
education following a break in enrollment from the institution or
another institution of higher education covering the 24-month
period preceding the first class day of the initial semester or
other academic term of the student's reenrollment; and
(2) successfully completed at least 50 semester credit
hours of course work at an institution of higher education before
that break in enrollment.
SECTION 3. Section 61.0595(d), Education Code, is amended
to read as follows:
(d) The following are not counted for purposes of
determining whether the student has previously earned the number of
semester credit hours specified by Subsection (a):
(1) semester credit hours earned by the student before
receiving a baccalaureate degree that has previously been awarded
to the student;
(2) semester credit hours earned by the student by
examination or under any other procedure by which credit is earned
without registering for a course for which tuition is charged;
(3) credit for a remedial education course, a
technical course, a workforce education course funded according to
contact hours, or another course that does not count toward a degree
program at the institution;
(4) semester credit hours earned by the student at a
private institution or an out-of-state institution; [and]
(5) semester credit hours earned by the student before
graduating from high school and used to satisfy high school
graduation requirements; and
(6) the first additional 15 semester credit hours
earned toward a degree program by a student who:
(A) has reenrolled at an institution of higher
education following a break in enrollment from the institution or
another institution of higher education covering the 24-month
period preceding the first class day of the initial semester or
other academic term of the student's reenrollment; and
(B) successfully completed at least 50 semester
credit hours of course work at an institution of higher education
before that break in enrollment.
SECTION 4. (a) The Texas Higher Education Coordinating
Board shall adopt the rules required by Section 51.907(e-1),
Education Code, as added by this Act, not later than June 1, 2018.
(b) The change in law made by this Act to Section 51.907,
Education Code, applies beginning with the 2018 fall semester.
SECTION 5. The changes in law made by this Act to Sections
61.059 and 61.0595, Education Code, apply beginning with funding
recommendations made under Section 61.059, Education Code, for the
state fiscal biennium beginning September 1, 2019.
SECTION 6. This Act takes effect September 1, 2017.
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