Texas 2021 - 87th Regular

Texas House Bill HB811 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1	87R3540 MM-D
2	2	By: Gervin-Hawkins H.B. No. 811
3	3
4	4
5	5	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
6	6	AN ACT
7	7	relating to a single common course numbering system for and the
8	8	transfer of course credit among public institutions of higher
9	9	education in this state.
10	10	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
11	11	SECTION 1. Section 61.822, Education Code, is amended by
12	12	amending Subsections (a) and (b) and adding Subsection (f) to read
13	13	as follows:
14	14	(a) The board shall develop and implement a policy regarding
15	15	[encourage] the transferability of [lower division] course credit
16	16	among institutions of higher education.
17	17	(b) Each institution of higher education shall adopt a core
18	18	curriculum of not [no] less than 42 semester credit hours,
19	19	including specific courses comprising the curriculum. The core
20	20	curriculum shall be consistent with the single common course
21	21	numbering system approved by the board under Section 61.832(a) and
22	22	with the statement, recommendations, and rules issued by the board.
23	23	An institution may have a core curriculum of other than 42 semester
24	24	credit hours only if approved by the board.
25	25	(f) If a student successfully completes a course at an
26	26	institution of higher education for which a common number
27	27	designation and course description are included in the single
28	28	common course numbering system described by Section 61.832, that
29	29	course may be transferred to any other institution of higher
30	30	education that offers a course with the same common course number
31	31	and must be substituted for the receiving institution's course.
32	32	SECTION 2. Section 61.826(a), Education Code, is amended to
33	33	read as follows:
34	34	(a) The board by rule shall adopt procedures to be followed
35	35	by:
36	36	(1) institutions of higher education in resolving
37	37	disputes concerning the transfer of [lower division] course credit;
38	38	and
39	39	(2) the commissioner of higher education or the
40	40	commissioner's designee in making a final determination concerning
41	41	transfer of the course credit if the transfer is in dispute.
42	42	SECTION 3. Section 61.830, Education Code, is amended to
43	43	read as follows:
44	44	Sec. 61.830. PUBLICATION OF GUIDELINES ADDRESSING TRANSFER
45	45	PRACTICES. In its course catalogs and on its website, each
46	46	institution of higher education shall publish guidelines
47	47	addressing the practices of the institution regarding the transfer
48	48	of course credit. In the guidelines, the institution must use
49	49	[identify a course by using] the single common course numbering
50	50	system as required by Section 61.832 to identify each of its offered
51	51	courses for which a common number designation and course
52	52	description are included by the board in that system [approved by
53	53	the board].
54	54	SECTION 4. Section 61.832, Education Code, is amended to
55	55	read as follows:
56	56	Sec. 61.832. COMMON COURSE NUMBERING SYSTEM. (a) The board
57	57	shall approve a single common course numbering system for
58	58	[lower-division] courses to facilitate the transfer of [those]
59	59	courses among institutions of higher education by promoting
60	60	consistency in course designation and identification.
61	61	(a-1) The following types of courses are exempt from the
62	62	single common course numbering system approved under Subsection
63	63	(a):
64	64	(1) courses in career and technical education, except
65	65	as provided by Section 61.8235;
66	66	(2) courses in applied performing arts;
67	67	(3) clinical coursework in health-related subject
68	68	areas;
69	69	(4) skill-related courses in criminal justice-related
70	70	subject areas;
71	71	(5) graduate courses; and
72	72	(6) special topics courses, including course credit
73	73	received for completing an internship, an apprenticeship, a
74	74	practicum, a thesis, a dissertation, or a course offered by a study
75	75	abroad program.
76	76	(b) The board shall solicit input from institutions of
77	77	higher education regarding the development of the single common
78	78	course numbering system.
79	79	(c) Each institution of higher education shall:
80	80	(1) use the approved common course numbering system in
81	81	the institution's guidelines regarding the transfer of course
82	82	credit for each course for which a common number designation and
83	83	course description are included by the board in that system; and
84	84	(2) include the applicable course numbers from the
85	85	approved common course numbering system in its course catalogs and
86	86	other course listings.
87	87	(d) The board may approve only a common course numbering
88	88	system already in common use in this state by one or more
89	89	institutions of higher education.
90	90	(e) [(c)] The board shall cooperate with institutions of
91	91	higher education in any additional development or alteration of the
92	92	common course numbering system approved under Subsection (a),
93	93	including the taxonomy to be used, and in the development of rules
94	94	for the administration and applicability of the system.
95	95	(f) Each institution of higher education must certify
96	96	annually to the board the accuracy of the institution's
97	97	identification, in its course catalogs and other course listings,
98	98	of each course offered by the institution for which a common number
99	99	designation and course description are included by the board in the
100	100	common course numbering system. As part of the certification
101	101	required by this subsection, the institution shall specify each of
102	102	its offered courses for which a common number designation and
103	103	course description are included in that system and each of its
104	104	offered courses for which a common number designation and course
105	105	description are not included in that system. The institution also
106	106	shall include with its certification a current, publicly accessible
107	107	website address at which the institution publishes its guidelines
108	108	regarding the transfer of course credit.
109	109	(g) The board may, based on the board's review of the
110	110	information certified under Subsection (f), recommend corrective
111	111	action to an institution's governing board if the institution fails
112	112	to comply with the requirements of this section. In its next
113	113	legislative appropriations request made to the legislature, the
114	114	board shall identify each institution that fails to comply with the
115	115	board's recommended corrective action.
116	116	(h) Not later than June 1, 2022, the board shall:
117	117	(1) approve a single common course numbering system as
118	118	required by Subsection (a); and
119	119	(2) establish a timetable that requires institutions
120	120	of higher education to phase in the inclusion of the applicable
121	121	course numbers from the approved common course numbering system in
122	122	their individual guidelines regarding the transfer of course credit
123	123	and in their individual course numbering systems as required by
124	124	this section so that each institution fully complies with this
125	125	section for each course that is offered during the 2026-2027
126	126	academic year or a subsequent academic year and for which a common
127	127	number designation and course description are included by the board
128	128	in that system.
129	129	(h-1) Subsection (h) and this subsection expire January 1,
130	130	2028.
131	131	[(d) An institution of higher education shall include in its
132	132	course listings the applicable course numbers from the common
133	133	course numbering system approved by the board under this section.
134	134	For good cause, the board may grant to an institution of higher
135	135	education an exemption from the requirements of this subsection.]
136	136	SECTION 5. (a) Except as provided by Subsection (b) of this
137	137	section, the change in law made by this Act applies beginning with
138	138	the 2022-2023 academic year.
139	139	(b) The change in law made by this Act in adding Sections
140	140	61.832(f) and (g), Education Code, applies beginning with the
141	141	2026-2027 academic year.
142	142	SECTION 6. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
143	143	a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
144	144	provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
145	145	Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
146	146	Act takes effect September 1, 2021.