| 1 | 1 | | 86R3613 KJE-F |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Powell S.B. No. 1296 |
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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 filing of a degree plan by students at public |
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| 8 | 8 | | institutions of higher education. |
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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. Section 51.9685(a)(2), Education Code, is |
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| 11 | 11 | | amended to read as follows: |
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| 12 | 12 | | (2) "Institution of higher education" has [and "public |
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| 13 | 13 | | junior college" have] the meaning [meanings] assigned by Section |
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| 14 | 14 | | 61.003. |
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| 15 | 15 | | SECTION 2. Sections 51.9685(b), (c), and (g), Education |
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| 16 | 16 | | Code, are amended to read as follows: |
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| 17 | 17 | | (b) Except as otherwise provided by Subsection (c), each |
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| 18 | 18 | | student enrolled at an institution of higher education in an |
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| 19 | 19 | | associate or bachelor's degree program or a course for joint high |
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| 20 | 20 | | school and junior college credit under Section 130.008 [at an |
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| 21 | 21 | | institution of higher education] shall file a degree plan with the |
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| 22 | 22 | | institution not later than the first day of the [end of the second] |
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| 23 | 23 | | regular semester or term immediately following the semester or term |
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| 24 | 24 | | in which the student earned a cumulative total of 30 [45] or more |
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| 25 | 25 | | semester credit hours for coursework successfully completed by the |
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| 26 | 26 | | student, including transfer courses, international baccalaureate |
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| 27 | 27 | | courses, dual credit courses, and any other course for which the |
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| 28 | 28 | | institution the student attends has awarded the student college |
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| 29 | 29 | | course credit, including course credit awarded by examination. |
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| 30 | 30 | | (c) A student to whom this section applies who begins the |
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| 31 | 31 | | student's first semester or term at an institution of higher |
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| 32 | 32 | | education with 30 [45] or more semester credit hours of course |
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| 33 | 33 | | credit for courses described by Subsection (b) shall file a degree |
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| 34 | 34 | | plan with the institution not later than the 12th class day [end] of |
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| 35 | 35 | | that [the student's second regular] semester or term [at the |
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| 36 | 36 | | institution]. |
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| 37 | 37 | | (g) The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, in |
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| 38 | 38 | | consultation with institutions of higher education, shall [may] |
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| 39 | 39 | | adopt rules as necessary for the administration of this section, |
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| 40 | 40 | | including rules to ensure compliance with this section. |
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| 41 | 41 | | SECTION 3. Section 130.0104(c), Education Code, is amended |
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| 42 | 42 | | to read as follows: |
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| 43 | 43 | | (c) In complying with the requirements regarding the filing |
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| 44 | 44 | | of a degree plan under [Notwithstanding] Section 51.9685, [before |
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| 45 | 45 | | the beginning of the regular semester or term immediately following |
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| 46 | 46 | | the semester or term in which] a student enrolled [successfully |
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| 47 | 47 | | completes a cumulative total of 30 or more semester credit hours for |
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| 48 | 48 | | coursework] in a multidisciplinary studies associate degree |
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| 49 | 49 | | program established under this section [, the student] must meet |
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| 50 | 50 | | with an academic advisor to complete a degree plan [, as defined by |
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| 51 | 51 | | Section 51.9685(a)(1),] that: |
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| 52 | 52 | | (1) accounts for all remaining credit hours required |
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| 53 | 53 | | for the completion of the degree program; and |
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| 54 | 54 | | (2) emphasizes: |
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| 55 | 55 | | (A) the student's transition to a particular |
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| 56 | 56 | | four-year college or university that the student chooses; and |
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| 57 | 57 | | (B) preparations for the student's intended |
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| 58 | 58 | | field of study or major at the four-year college or university. |
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| 59 | 59 | | SECTION 4. Section 51.9685(c-1), Education Code, is |
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| 60 | 60 | | repealed. |
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| 61 | 61 | | SECTION 5. This Act applies beginning with the 2019-2020 |
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| 62 | 62 | | academic year. |
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| 63 | 63 | | SECTION 6. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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| 64 | 64 | | a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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| 65 | 65 | | provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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| 66 | 66 | | Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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| 67 | 67 | | Act takes effect September 1, 2019. |
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