TX
Texas House Bill HB2110

Texas 2025 - 89th Regular

Texas House Bill HB2110 Compare Versions

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1-89R21358 KJE-F
2- By: VanDeaver, King, Ward Johnson, Kitzman H.B. No. 2110
3- Substitute the following for H.B. No. 2110:
4- By: Wilson C.S.H.B. No. 2110
1+89R4380 KJE-F
2+ By: VanDeaver H.B. No. 2110
3+
4+
55
66
77 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
88 AN ACT
99 relating to public higher education.
1010 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1111 SECTION 1. Sections 28.0095(c), (e), and (f), Education
1212 Code, are amended to read as follows:
1313 (c) A student is eligible to enroll at no cost in a dual
1414 credit course under the program if the student:
1515 (1) is enrolled:
1616 (A) in a grade level from 9 through 12 [high
1717 school] in a school district or charter school; and
1818 (B) in a dual credit course at a participating
1919 institution of higher education; and
2020 (2) was educationally disadvantaged at any time
2121 during:
2222 (A) the school year in which the student enrolls
2323 in the dual credit course described by Subdivision (1)(B); or
2424 (B) the four school years preceding the student's
2525 enrollment in the dual credit course described by Subdivision
2626 (1)(B).
2727 (e) Each school district or charter school shall:
2828 (1) on the [a high school student's] enrollment of a
2929 student in a grade level from 9 through 12 in a dual credit course,
3030 determine whether the student meets the criteria for the program
3131 under Subsection (c)(2); and
3232 (2) notify the institution of higher education that
3333 offers the dual credit course in which the student is enrolled of
3434 the district's or school's determination under Subdivision (1).
3535 (f) A school district or charter school may make the
3636 determination under Subsection (e)(1) based on the district's or
3737 school's records, the agency's records, or any other method
3838 authorized by commissioner or coordinating board rule. If the
3939 district or school bases the determination on a method other than
4040 the agency's records, the district or school shall report the
4141 method used and the data on which the method is based to the agency
4242 for purposes of verification. The agency shall make available to
43- school districts and charter schools any available and relevant
44- data for making the determination required under Subsection (e)(1).
45- SECTION 2. Section 61.003(2), Education Code, is amended to
43+ school districts and charter schools the data necessary for making
44+ the determination required under Subsection (e)(1).
45+ SECTION 2. Subchapter D, Chapter 54, Education Code, is
46+ amended by adding Section 54.215 to read as follows:
47+ Sec. 54.215. FINANCIAL AID FOR SWIFT TRANSFER (FAST)
48+ PROGRAM. The governing board of an institution of higher education
49+ participating in the Financial Aid for Swift Transfer (FAST)
50+ program under Section 28.0095 shall exempt from the payment of
51+ tuition and required fees for a dual credit course, as defined by
52+ that section, a student who is eligible for the program.
53+ SECTION 3. Section 61.003(2), Education Code, is amended to
4654 read as follows:
4755 (2) "Public junior college" means any junior college
4856 associated with a junior college district described by Subchapter
4957 J, Chapter 130 [listed as a public junior college in accordance with
5058 Section 61.063].
51- SECTION 3. Subchapter B, Chapter 61, Education Code, is
59+ SECTION 4. Subchapter B, Chapter 61, Education Code, is
5260 amended by adding Section 61.0275 to read as follows:
5361 Sec. 61.0275. ADOPTION BY REFERENCE. The board may adopt by
5462 reference a manual or policy document as a rule.
55- SECTION 4. Section 130A.005, Education Code, is amended by
63+ SECTION 5. Section 130A.005, Education Code, is amended by
5664 adding Subsection (d) to read as follows:
5765 (d) The coordinating board may use the emergency rulemaking
5866 procedures established under Section 2001.034, Government Code, to
5967 adopt rules necessary to align the funding formulas under this
6068 chapter with appropriations or other legislative action. The
6169 coordinating board is not required to make the finding described by
6270 Section 2001.034(a), Government Code, to adopt rules under this
6371 subsection.
64- SECTION 5. Section 130A.101(c), Education Code, is amended
72+ SECTION 6. Section 130A.101(c), Education Code, is amended
6573 to read as follows:
6674 (c) The measurable outcomes considered for purposes of
6775 performance tier funding are:
6876 (1) the number of credentials of value awarded, as
6977 determined by the coordinating board based on analyses of wages and
7078 costs associated with the credential, including degrees,
7179 certificates, and other credentials from credit and non-credit
7280 programs that equip students for continued learning and greater
7381 earnings in the state economy, with an additional weight for
7482 placement of students who earn that credential in a high-demand
7583 occupation, as defined by coordinating board rule, or an
7684 appropriate proxy determined by the coordinating board based on
7785 available data;
7886 (2) the number of students who earn at least 15
7987 semester credit hours or the equivalent at the junior college
8088 district and:
8189 (A) subsequently transfer to:
8290 (i) a general academic teaching
8391 institution, as that term is defined by Section 61.003; or
8492 (ii) a private or independent institution
8593 of higher education, as that term is defined by Section 61.003, that
8694 offers four-year degree programs; or
8795 (B) are enrolled in a structured co-enrollment
8896 program, as authorized by coordinating board rule; and
8997 (3) the number of students who complete a sequence of
9098 at least 15 semester credit hours or the equivalent for dual credit
9199 or dual enrollment courses, as defined by coordinating board rule,
92100 that apply toward academic or workforce program requirements at the
93101 postsecondary level.
94- SECTION 6. Subchapter C, Chapter 130A, Education Code, is
95- amended by adding Section 130A.102 to read as follows:
96- Sec. 130A.102. CREDENTIALS OF VALUE. (a) For purposes of
97- Section 130A.101(c)(1), the coordinating board shall designate a
98- credential as a credential of value if the credential:
99- (1) provides a positive return on investment for a
100- student who received the credential, as measured by earning or
101- being expected to earn cumulative wages at least equal to the
102- cumulative median earnings for high school graduates in this state
103- and earning at least the individual self-sufficient wage, as
104- defined by coordinating board rule, during the period specified by
105- coordinating board rule but not more than 10 years after the date on
106- which the credential is received; and
107- (2) allows a student who received the credential to
108- recoup the net cost of attendance at a public junior college,
109- including opportunity cost, where:
110- (A) the net cost of attendance is the net cost of
111- attendance used for purposes of financial aid at the college less
112- any aid received by the student; and
113- (B) opportunity cost is the difference between
114- cumulative median earnings for high school graduates in this state
115- and cumulative median earnings for students while enrolled in the
116- certificate or degree program leading to the credential for:
117- (i) a period of two years for an associate
118- degree program;
119- (ii) a period of four years for a
120- baccalaureate degree program; and
121- (iii) a period determined by coordinating
122- board rule based on the program's design for a certificate or degree
123- program not described by Subparagraph (i) or (ii).
124- (b) The coordinating board shall calculate the return on
125- investment for a credential under Subsection (a)(1) using the most
126- current data available to the coordinating board from:
127- (1) the integrated postsecondary education data
128- system maintained by the National Center for Education Statistics;
129- (2) wage records obtained from the Texas Workforce
130- Commission;
131- (3) the American Community Survey by the United States
132- Census Bureau;
133- (4) the coordinating board's data reporting systems;
134- or
135- (5) other data sources selected by the coordinating
136- board.
137- (c) In adopting a definition of individual self-sufficient
138- wage for purposes of Subsection (a)(1), the coordinating board
139- shall ensure the definition is correlated with the statewide median
140- of the self-sufficient wage determined under Section 2308A.012,
141- Government Code.
142- (d) The coordinating board may designate a credential in
143- education or health care as a credential of value regardless of
144- whether the credential meets the criteria under Subsection (a) if
145- the coordinating board determines the designation is necessary to
146- ensure the workforce needs of this state are met in those fields.
147- (e) The coordinating board shall adopt rules as necessary to
148- implement this section in alignment with the long-range master plan
149- for higher education in this state developed under Section
150- 61.051(a-1).
151- SECTION 7. Chapter 2308A, Government Code, is amended by
152- adding Section 2308A.0115 to read as follows:
153- Sec. 2308A.0115. COORDINATION OF GRANT PROGRAMS FOR
154- SECONDARY AND POSTSECONDARY CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION
155- PROGRAMS. (a) For the establishment, implementation, and expansion
156- of secondary and postsecondary career and technical education
157- programs that are aligned with the state workforce development
158- goals, the agency, coordinating board, and commission shall
159- coordinate the competitive grant programs for those programs,
160- including:
161- (1) the Jobs and Education for Texans (JET) Grant
162- Program under Chapter 134, Education Code;
163- (2) the grant program established under the Pathways
164- in Technology Early College High School (P-TECH) program under
165- Section 29.556, Education Code;
166- (3) the Texas Reskilling and Upskilling through
167- Education (TRUE) Program established under Subchapter T-2, Chapter
168- 61, Education Code; and
169- (4) federal career and technical education grant
170- programs, including grant programs under the Carl D. Perkins Career
171- and Technical Education Act of 2006 (20 U.S.C. Section 2301 et
172- seq.).
173- (b) In coordinating grant programs under Subsection (a),
174- the agency, coordinating board, and commission shall jointly:
175- (1) address career and technical education program
176- startup and delivery costs by aligning two or more grant funding
177- streams;
178- (2) identify and work to reduce duplication in grant
179- programs across the agency, coordinating board, and commission;
180- (3) identify opportunities to structure grant funding
181- for career and technical education projects that support
182- secondary-to-postsecondary career pathways, including by providing
183- for career and technical education dual credit or the attainment of
184- postsecondary credentials by secondary students;
185- (4) identify opportunities to structure grant funding
186- for career and technical education projects that are:
187- (A) aligned with the attainment of credentials of
188- value, as designated by the coordinating board for purposes of
189- Section 130A.101(c)(1), Education Code; and
190- (B) designed to meet state workforce needs in
191- high-demand fields; and
192- (5) to the extent possible, prioritize comprehensive
193- funding of facilities, equipment, instructional materials, and
194- faculty and staff for program development and delivery to best meet
195- the state workforce development goals.
196- SECTION 8. Section 204.0025, Labor Code, is amended to read
197- as follows:
198- Sec. 204.0025. ADDITIONAL WORKFORCE DATA REPORTING. The
199- commission shall [It is the intent of the legislature that the
200- commission, subject to the availability of federal funding or other
201- resources for the purpose,] work with employers to enhance the
202- reporting of employment and earnings data by employers to the
203- commission as part of an employer's routine wage filings under this
204- subtitle or commission rule and consistent with federal law and
205- regulations. The enhanced wage filings must include information
206- related to wage, industry, occupational field, full-time and
207- part-time status, county of primary employment, remote work status,
208- [occupation] and other important employment information necessary
209- to conduct the assessment required under Section 302.0205 [that
210- would improve the state's labor market information].
211- SECTION 9. Subchapter A, Chapter 302, Labor Code, is
212- amended by adding Section 302.0205 to read as follows:
213- Sec. 302.0205. REGIONAL LABOR DEMAND ASSESSMENT. (a) In
214- this section, "institution of higher education" has the meaning
215- assigned by Section 61.003, Education Code.
216- (b) The commission shall conduct a biennial assessment of
217- available regional labor demands across this state using the best
218- available state and federal labor market data, as determined by the
219- commission, to allow institutions of higher education to better
220- align educational programs with workforce needs. The assessment
221- must:
222- (1) analyze current and projected workforce needs in
223- each region of this state over a 10-year period, disaggregated to
224- the extent possible by wage, industry, occupational field,
225- full-time and part-time status, county of primary employment, and
226- remote work status; and
227- (2) identify for each region and county of this state
228- the industries and occupations that lead to an individual
229- self-sufficient wage, as defined by Texas Higher Education
230- Coordinating Board rule in accordance with Section 130A.102,
231- Education Code.
232- (c) The commission may coordinate with other state
233- agencies, including the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board
234- and the Texas Education Agency, to conduct the assessment under
235- this section.
236- (d) In conducting the assessment under this section, the
237- commission may:
238- (1) obtain any data the commission is authorized by
239- law to obtain from a state or federal agency or institution of
240- higher education at no cost to the commission;
241- (2) obtain expedited access at no cost to the
242- commission to data available through a center for education
243- research established under Section 1.005, Education Code; and
244- (3) contract with a state agency or institution of
245- higher education to conduct or assist in conducting the assessment.
246- (e) If the commission contracts with an institution of
247- higher education to conduct or assist in conducting the assessment
248- under Subsection (d)(3), the Texas Higher Education Coordinating
249- Board and the Texas Education Agency shall enter into a data sharing
250- agreement with the institution to provide to the institution any
251- data necessary to conduct the assessment.
252- (f) Not later than March 1 of each odd-numbered year, the
253- commission shall provide the results of the assessment to:
254- (1) the governor;
255- (2) the lieutenant governor;
256- (3) the speaker of the house of representatives;
257- (4) the standing legislative committees with primary
258- jurisdiction over higher education;
259- (5) the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board;
260- (6) the Texas Education Agency;
261- (7) institutions of higher education; and
262- (8) public schools.
263- SECTION 10. Section 28.0095, Education Code, as amended by
102+ SECTION 7. Section 28.0095, Education Code, as amended by
264103 this Act, applies beginning with the 2025-2026 school year.
265- SECTION 11. Not later than December 1, 2026, the Texas
266- Higher Education Coordinating Board shall evaluate the data
267- available under Section 204.0025, Labor Code, as amended by this
268- Act, to identify the effects of transitioning to a county-by-county
269- definition of individual self-sufficient wage for purposes of
270- Section 130A.102, Education Code, as added by this Act.
271- SECTION 12. (a) Section 130A.102, Education Code, as added
272- by this Act, applies to associate degrees awarded by a public junior
273- college beginning with the 2025-2026 academic year. That section
274- applies to other degrees and certificates awarded by a public
275- junior college beginning with the 2027-2028 academic year.
276- (b) Not later than August 1, 2027, the Texas Higher
277- Education Coordinating Board, in consultation with the standing
278- advisory committee established under Section 130.001, Education
279- Code, shall adopt rules implementing Section 130A.102, Education
280- Code, as added by this Act, for each certificate program offered by
281- a public junior college.
282- SECTION 13. (a) Except as provided by Subsection (b) of this
104+ SECTION 8. Section 54.215, Education Code, as added by this
105+ Act, applies beginning with tuition and required fees charged for
106+ the 2025 fall semester. Tuition and required fees charged for an
107+ academic period before that semester are governed by the law in
108+ effect immediately before the effective date of this Act, and the
109+ former law is continued in effect for that purpose.
110+ SECTION 9. (a) Except as provided by Subsection (b) of this
283111 section, this Act takes effect immediately if it receives a vote of
284112 two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as provided by
285113 Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this Act does not
286114 receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this Act takes
287115 effect September 1, 2025.
288116 (b) Section 130A.101(c), Education Code, as amended by this
289- Act, and Section 130A.102, Education Code, as added by this Act,
290- take effect September 1, 2025.
117+ Act, takes effect September 1, 2025.