By: Shofner H.B. No. 1705
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to the accreditation of certain postsecondary educational
institutions in this state or of certain programs offered by those
institutions.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Sections 61.003(13), Education Code, are amended
to read as follows:
(13) "Recognized accrediting agency" means [the
Southern Association of Colleges and Schools and] any [other]
association or organization so designated by the board.
SECTION 2. Section 61.0515(a), Education Code, is amended
to read as follows:
(a) To earn a baccalaureate degree, a student may not be
required by a general academic teaching institution to complete
more than the minimum number of semester credit hours required for
the degree by the institution's recognized accrediting agency
[Southern Association of Colleges and Schools or its successor]
unless the institution determines that there is a compelling
academic reason for requiring completion of additional semester
credit hours for the degree.
SECTION 3. Section 61.05151(a), Education Code, is amended
to read as follows:
(a) To earn an associate degree, a student may not be
required by an institution of higher education to complete more
than the minimum number of semester credit hours required for the
degree by the institution's recognized accrediting agency
[Southern Association of Colleges and Schools or its successor]
unless the institution determines that there is a compelling
academic reason for requiring completion of additional semester
credit hours for the degree.
SECTION 4. Section 61.8235(f), Education Code, is amended
to read as follows:
(f) A student enrolled in a board-established program of
study who transfers from a public junior college, public state
college, or public technical institute to another public junior
college, public state college, or public technical institute that
offers a similar program, regardless of whether the institution has
adopted the board-established program of study, shall receive
academic credit from the institution to which the student
transferred for each of the courses that the student has
successfully completed in the program of study curriculum. Unless
otherwise required by the institution's recognized accrediting
agency [Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of
Colleges and Schools], the student may complete the program of
study at the institution to which the student transferred by
completing only the remaining number of semester credit hours the
student would need to complete the program of study at the
institution from which the student transferred.
SECTION 5. Section 107.151(c), Education Code, is amended
to read as follows:
(c) Notwithstanding any other provision of this subchapter,
the university may operate as a general academic teaching
institution only after the Texas Higher Education Coordinating
Board certifies that the university is accredited by a recognized
accrediting agency, as defined by Section 61.003, [the Southern
Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges] and has
been approved by the coordinating board to offer one or more degree
programs. Until the coordinating board certifies that the
conditions of this subsection have been met, the board of regents
may operate a branch campus of Texas Woman's University in the city
of Dallas.
SECTION 6. Section 107.201(c), Education Code, is amended
to read as follows:
(c) Notwithstanding any other provision of this subchapter,
the university may operate as a general academic teaching
institution only after the Texas Higher Education Coordinating
Board certifies that the university is accredited by a recognized
accrediting agency, as defined by Section 61.003, [the Southern
Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges] and has
been approved by the coordinating board to offer one or more degree
programs. Until the coordinating board certifies that the
conditions of this subsection have been met, the board of regents
may operate a branch campus of Texas Woman's University in the city
of Houston.
SECTION 7. Section 130.301, Education Code, is amended by
adding Subdivision (3) to read as follows:
(3) "Recognized accrediting agency" has the meaning
assigned by Section 61.003.
SECTION 8. Section 130.305, Education Code, is amended to
read as follows:
Sec. 130.305. ACCREDITATION. A public junior college
offering a baccalaureate degree program under this subchapter must
meet all applicable accreditation requirements of a recognized
accrediting agency [the Commission on Colleges of the Southern
Association of Colleges and Schools].
SECTION 9. Section 130.307(c), Education Code, is amended
to read as follows:
(c) Before a public junior college may be authorized to
offer a baccalaureate degree program under this subchapter, the
public junior college must submit a report to the coordinating
board that includes:
(1) a long-term financial plan for receiving
accreditation from a recognized accrediting agency [the Commission
on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools];
(2) a long-term plan for faculty recruitment that:
(A) indicates the ability to pay the
increased salaries of doctoral faculty;
(B) identifies recruitment strategies for
new faculty; and
(C) ensures the program would not draw
faculty employed by a neighboring institution offering a similar
program;
(3) detailed information on the manner of program and
course delivery; and
(4) detailed information regarding existing
articulation agreements and dual enrollment agreements indicating:
(A) that at least three articulation
agreements have been established with general academic teaching
institutions or medical and dental units, or the reasons why no
articulation agreements have been established; and
(B) that, with the agreement of the
applicable general academic teaching institution or medical and
dental unit, established articulation agreements are at capacity.
SECTION 10. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.