By: Bell of Montgomery, et al. H.B. No. 3601
(Senate Sponsor - Menéndez)
(In the Senate - Received from the House May 6, 2019;
May 10, 2019, read first time and referred to Committee on Higher
Education; May 19, 2019, reported favorably by the following vote:
Yeas 9, Nays 0; May 19, 2019, sent to printer.)
Click here to see the committee vote
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to the recognition by the Texas Higher Education
Coordinating Board of competency-based education degree plans for
members of the Texas military forces.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Subchapter C, Chapter 61, Education Code, is
amended by adding Section 61.0521 to read as follows:
Sec. 61.0521. RECOGNITION OF COMPETENCY-BASED EDUCATION
DEGREE PLANS FOR MEMBERS OF TEXAS MILITARY FORCES. (a) In this
section, "Texas military forces" has the meaning assigned by
Section 437.001, Government Code.
(b) The board may approve an institution of higher education
recognized by the board to offer a degree in coordination with the
Texas Military Department that uses alternative methods of
determining mastery of program content, including competency-based
education.
(c) To be eligible for a degree approved under this section,
a person must:
(1) have graduated from high school or received the
equivalent of a high school diploma;
(2) satisfy the minimum active military service
obligation to the Texas military forces for a degree plan as
follows:
(A) for an associate degree, two years of
service;
(B) for a baccalaureate degree, four years of
service; and
(C) for a graduate degree, six years of service;
and
(3) complete and meet the standards of the degree
plan.
(d) The board may propose rules to establish requirements
under which a person's training and experience acquired during the
person's military service serve as proof of the person's
demonstration of subject matter knowledge if that training and
experience are verified by the Texas Military Department.
SECTION 2. This Act applies beginning with degree plans
offered for enrollment for the 2020-2021 academic year.
SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2019.
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