By: Walle (Senate Sponsor - Powell) H.B. No. 3808
(In the Senate - Received from the House April 26, 2019;
April 29, 2019, read first time and referred to Committee on Higher
Education; May 19, 2019, reported adversely, with favorable
Committee Substitute by the following vote: Yeas 9, Nays 0;
May 19, 2019, sent to printer.)
Click here to see the committee vote
COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR H.B. No. 3808 By: Creighton
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to the filing of a degree plan by students at public
institutions of higher education.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Section 51.9685(a)(2), Education Code, is
amended to read as follows:
(2) "Institution of higher education" has [and "public
junior college" have] the meaning [meanings] assigned by Section
61.003.
SECTION 2. Section 51.9685, Education Code, is amended by
amending Subsections (b), (c), and (g) and adding Subsection (c-2)
to read as follows:
(b) Except as otherwise provided by Subsection (c), each
student enrolled in an associate or bachelor's degree program at an
institution of higher education shall file a degree plan with the
institution before [not later than] the end of the [second regular]
semester or term immediately following the semester or term in
which the student earned a cumulative total of 30 [45] or more
semester credit hours for coursework successfully completed by the
student, including transfer courses, international baccalaureate
courses, dual credit courses, and any other course for which the
institution the student attends has awarded the student college
course credit, including course credit awarded by examination.
(c) A student to whom Subsection (b) [this section] applies
who begins the student's first semester or term at an institution of
higher education with 30 [45] or more semester credit hours of
course credit for courses described by Subsection (b) shall file a
degree plan with the institution before [not later than] the end of
that [the student's second regular] semester or term [at the
institution].
(c-2) A student enrolled in a dual credit course at an
institution of higher education and to whom Subsection (b) does not
apply shall file a degree plan with the institution not later than:
(1) the end of the second regular semester or term
immediately following the semester or term in which the student
earned a cumulative total of 15 or more semester credit hours of
course credit for dual credit courses successfully completed by the
student; or
(2) if the student begins the student's first semester
or term at the institution with 15 or more semester credit hours of
course credit for dual credit courses successfully completed by the
student, the end of the student's second regular semester or term at
the institution.
(g) The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, in
consultation with institutions of higher education, shall [may]
adopt rules as necessary for the administration of this section,
including rules to ensure compliance with this section. In
adopting those rules, the coordinating board shall use the
negotiated rulemaking procedures under Chapter 2008, Government
Code.
SECTION 3. Section 130.0104(c), Education Code, is amended
to read as follows:
(c) In complying with the requirements regarding the filing
of a degree plan under [Notwithstanding] Section 51.9685, [before
the beginning of the regular semester or term immediately following
the semester or term in which] a student enrolled [successfully
completes a cumulative total of 30 or more semester credit hours for
coursework] in a multidisciplinary studies associate degree
program established under this section [, the student] must meet
with an academic advisor to complete a degree plan [, as defined by
Section 51.9685(a)(1),] that:
(1) accounts for all remaining credit hours required
for the completion of the degree program; and
(2) emphasizes:
(A) the student's transition to a particular
four-year college or university that the student chooses; and
(B) preparations for the student's intended
field of study or major at the four-year college or university.
SECTION 4. Section 51.9685(c-1), Education Code, is
repealed.
SECTION 5. This Act applies beginning with the 2019-2020
academic year.
SECTION 6. 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, 2019.
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