| 1 | 1 | | 86R6358 JRJ-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Lozano H.B. No. 3819 |
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| 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 alignment of courses between educational entities |
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| 8 | 8 | | in this state. |
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| 9 | 9 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 10 | 10 | | SECTION 1. Subchapter S, Chapter 61, Education Code, is |
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| 11 | 11 | | amended by adding Section 61.834 to read as follows: |
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| 12 | 12 | | Sec. 61.834. REGIONAL CONSORTIUM FOR COURSE SEQUENCING. |
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| 13 | 13 | | (a) The board, in coordination with the Texas Education Agency, |
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| 14 | 14 | | shall divide the state into regions for the purpose of establishing |
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| 15 | 15 | | a regional consortium among the institutions of higher education |
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| 16 | 16 | | and school districts located within each region. Each consortium |
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| 17 | 17 | | shall facilitate the development of sequences of courses toward the |
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| 18 | 18 | | 25 degree programs at general academic teaching institutions with |
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| 19 | 19 | | the greatest student enrollment in each region, as identified by |
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| 20 | 20 | | the board under Subsection (b), and the alignment of each |
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| 21 | 21 | | endorsement described by Section 28.025(c-1) with degree plans for |
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| 22 | 22 | | those degree programs. |
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| 23 | 23 | | (b) For the purposes of this section, each general academic |
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| 24 | 24 | | teaching institution shall annually identify and report to the |
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| 25 | 25 | | board the 25 degree programs with the greatest student enrollment |
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| 26 | 26 | | at the institution. The board shall compile the information the |
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| 27 | 27 | | board receives from the general academic teaching institutions in |
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| 28 | 28 | | each regional consortium and report to each consortium the 25 |
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| 29 | 29 | | degree programs at general academic teaching institutions in that |
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| 30 | 30 | | consortium with the greatest overall student enrollment. |
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| 31 | 31 | | (c) For the purposes of this section, the release of student |
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| 32 | 32 | | information, including course, grade, and credit information, |
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| 33 | 33 | | between the institutions of higher education and the school |
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| 34 | 34 | | districts belonging to a regional consortium established under this |
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| 35 | 35 | | section serves the legitimate educational interest of a student for |
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| 36 | 36 | | whom consent would otherwise be required under the Family |
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| 37 | 37 | | Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (20 U.S.C. Section |
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| 38 | 38 | | 1232g). |
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| 39 | 39 | | (d) The board and the Texas Education Agency shall adopt |
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| 40 | 40 | | rules for the operation of a regional consortium established under |
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| 41 | 41 | | this section. |
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| 42 | 42 | | SECTION 2. (a) Not later than January 1, 2020, the Texas |
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| 43 | 43 | | Higher Education Coordinating Board and the Texas Education Agency |
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| 44 | 44 | | shall establish the regional consortiums required by Section |
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| 45 | 45 | | 61.834, Education Code, as added by this Act. |
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| 46 | 46 | | (b) Each regional consortium shall develop the course |
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| 47 | 47 | | sequences and the alignment of endorsement plans required under |
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| 48 | 48 | | Section 61.834, Education Code, as added by this Act, to apply |
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| 49 | 49 | | beginning with course selection for the 2023-2024 academic year. |
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| 50 | 50 | | SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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| 51 | 51 | | a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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| 52 | 52 | | provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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| 53 | 53 | | Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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| 54 | 54 | | Act takes effect September 1, 2019. |
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