Texas 2025 - 89th Regular

Texas House Bill HB1705 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

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1	1		By: Shofner H.B. No. 1705
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4	6		A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
5	7		AN ACT
6	8		relating to the accreditation of certain postsecondary educational
7	9		institutions in this state or of certain programs offered by those
8	10		institutions.
9	11		BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
10	12		SECTION 1. Sections 61.003(13), Education Code, are amended
11	13		to read as follows:
12	14		(13) "Recognized accrediting agency" means [the
13	15		Southern Association of Colleges and Schools and] any [other]
14	16		association or organization so designated by the board.
15	17		SECTION 2. Section 61.0515(a), Education Code, is amended
16	18		to read as follows:
17	19		(a) To earn a baccalaureate degree, a student may not be
18	20		required by a general academic teaching institution to complete
19	21		more than the minimum number of semester credit hours required for
20	22		the degree by the institution's recognized accrediting agency
21	23		[Southern Association of Colleges and Schools or its successor]
22	24		unless the institution determines that there is a compelling
23	25		academic reason for requiring completion of additional semester
24	26		credit hours for the degree.
25	27		SECTION 3. Section 61.05151(a), Education Code, is amended
26	28		to read as follows:
27	29		(a) To earn an associate degree, a student may not be
28	30		required by an institution of higher education to complete more
29	31		than the minimum number of semester credit hours required for the
30	32		degree by the institution's recognized accrediting agency
31	33		[Southern Association of Colleges and Schools or its successor]
32	34		unless the institution determines that there is a compelling
33	35		academic reason for requiring completion of additional semester
34	36		credit hours for the degree.
35	37		SECTION 4. Section 61.8235(f), Education Code, is amended
36	38		to read as follows:
37	39		(f) A student enrolled in a board-established program of
38	40		study who transfers from a public junior college, public state
39	41		college, or public technical institute to another public junior
40	42		college, public state college, or public technical institute that
41	43		offers a similar program, regardless of whether the institution has
42	44		adopted the board-established program of study, shall receive
43	45		academic credit from the institution to which the student
44	46		transferred for each of the courses that the student has
45	47		successfully completed in the program of study curriculum. Unless
46	48		otherwise required by the institution's recognized accrediting
47	49		agency [Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of
48	50		Colleges and Schools], the student may complete the program of
49	51		study at the institution to which the student transferred by
50	52		completing only the remaining number of semester credit hours the
51	53		student would need to complete the program of study at the
52	54		institution from which the student transferred.
53	55		SECTION 5. Section 107.151(c), Education Code, is amended
54	56		to read as follows:
55	57		(c) Notwithstanding any other provision of this subchapter,
56	58		the university may operate as a general academic teaching
57	59		institution only after the Texas Higher Education Coordinating
58	60		Board certifies that the university is accredited by a recognized
59	61		accrediting agency, as defined by Section 61.003, [the Southern
60	62		Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges] and has
61	63		been approved by the coordinating board to offer one or more degree
62	64		programs. Until the coordinating board certifies that the
63	65		conditions of this subsection have been met, the board of regents
64	66		may operate a branch campus of Texas Woman's University in the city
65	67		of Dallas.
66	68		SECTION 6. Section 107.201(c), Education Code, is amended
67	69		to read as follows:
68	70		(c) Notwithstanding any other provision of this subchapter,
69	71		the university may operate as a general academic teaching
70	72		institution only after the Texas Higher Education Coordinating
71	73		Board certifies that the university is accredited by a recognized
72	74		accrediting agency, as defined by Section 61.003, [the Southern
73	75		Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges] and has
74	76		been approved by the coordinating board to offer one or more degree
75	77		programs. Until the coordinating board certifies that the
76	78		conditions of this subsection have been met, the board of regents
77	79		may operate a branch campus of Texas Woman's University in the city
78	80		of Houston.
79	81		SECTION 7. Section 130.301, Education Code, is amended by
80	82		adding Subdivision (3) to read as follows:
81	83		(3) "Recognized accrediting agency" has the meaning
82	84		assigned by Section 61.003.
83	85		SECTION 8. Section 130.305, Education Code, is amended to
84	86		read as follows:
85	87		Sec. 130.305. ACCREDITATION. A public junior college
86	88		offering a baccalaureate degree program under this subchapter must
87	89		meet all applicable accreditation requirements of a recognized
88	90		accrediting agency [the Commission on Colleges of the Southern
89	91		Association of Colleges and Schools].
90	92		SECTION 9. Section 130.307(c), Education Code, is amended
91	93		to read as follows:
92	94		(c) Before a public junior college may be authorized to
93	95		offer a baccalaureate degree program under this subchapter, the
94	96		public junior college must submit a report to the coordinating
95	97		board that includes:
96	98		(1) a long-term financial plan for receiving
97	99		accreditation from a recognized accrediting agency [the Commission
98	100		on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools];
99	101		(2) a long-term plan for faculty recruitment that:
100	102		(A) indicates the ability to pay the
101	103		increased salaries of doctoral faculty;
102	104		(B) identifies recruitment strategies for
103	105		new faculty; and
104	106		(C) ensures the program would not draw
105	107		faculty employed by a neighboring institution offering a similar
106	108		program;
107	109		(3) detailed information on the manner of program and
108	110		course delivery; and
109	111		(4) detailed information regarding existing
110	112		articulation agreements and dual enrollment agreements indicating:
111	113		(A) that at least three articulation
112	114		agreements have been established with general academic teaching
113	115		institutions or medical and dental units, or the reasons why no
114	116		articulation agreements have been established; and
115	117		(B) that, with the agreement of the
116	118		applicable general academic teaching institution or medical and
117	119		dental unit, established articulation agreements are at capacity.
118	120		SECTION 10. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.