| 1 | 1 | | By: Paxton S.B. No. 2310 |
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| 2 | 2 | | |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 5 | 5 | | |
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| 6 | 6 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 7 | 7 | | AN ACT |
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| 8 | 8 | | relating to transparency regarding requirements to complete a |
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| 9 | 9 | | certificate or degree program at a public institution of higher |
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| 10 | 10 | | education. |
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| 11 | 11 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 12 | 12 | | SECTION 1. Subchapter C, Chapter 61, Education Code, is |
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| 13 | 13 | | amended by adding Section 61.07771 to read as follows: |
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| 14 | 14 | | Sec. 61.07771. TRANSPARENCY IN CERTIFICATE AND DEGREE |
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| 15 | 15 | | PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS. (a) The board, in consultation with |
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| 16 | 16 | | institutions of higher education, shall adopt rules requiring |
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| 17 | 17 | | institutions of higher education to provide transparency in |
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| 18 | 18 | | certificate and degree program requirements for students enrolling |
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| 19 | 19 | | at or transferring to the institution. |
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| 20 | 20 | | (b) The rules must require each institution of higher |
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| 21 | 21 | | education to: |
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| 22 | 22 | | (1) ensure that the requirements for each certificate |
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| 23 | 23 | | or degree program offered by the institution: |
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| 24 | 24 | | (A) are current, accessible to students enrolled |
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| 25 | 25 | | at the institution and members of the public through the following |
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| 26 | 26 | | sources, as applicable, and uniform at each of the following |
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| 27 | 27 | | sources: |
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| 28 | 28 | | (i) the institution's internal Internet |
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| 29 | 29 | | website for students; |
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| 30 | 30 | | (ii) the institution's Internet website; |
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| 31 | 31 | | and |
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| 32 | 32 | | (iii) the Internet website of the |
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| 33 | 33 | | department at the institution that offers the certificate or degree |
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| 34 | 34 | | program; and |
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| 35 | 35 | | (B) state: |
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| 36 | 36 | | (i) the prerequisites for each course |
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| 37 | 37 | | required as part of the certificate or degree program; and |
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| 38 | 38 | | (ii) any non-course requirements for the |
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| 39 | 39 | | certificate or degree program and, if the institution offers |
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| 40 | 40 | | different tracks for completing the program, those requirements for |
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| 41 | 41 | | each track; and |
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| 42 | 42 | | (2) post on the institution's Internet website the |
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| 43 | 43 | | minimum requirements to be accepted as a transfer student at the |
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| 44 | 44 | | institution. |
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| 45 | 45 | | SECTION 2. (a) Not later than January 1, 2026, the Texas |
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| 46 | 46 | | Higher Education Coordinating Board shall adopt the rules required |
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| 47 | 47 | | by Section 61.07771, Education Code, as added by this Act. |
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| 48 | 48 | | (b) A public institution of higher education shall comply |
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| 49 | 49 | | with the rules adopted under Subsection (a) of this section |
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| 50 | 50 | | beginning with the 2026-2027 academic year. |
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| 51 | 51 | | SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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| 52 | 52 | | a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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| 53 | 53 | | provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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| 54 | 54 | | Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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| 55 | 55 | | Act takes effect September 1, 2025. |
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