| 2 | | - | (In the Senate - Filed March 13, 2025; March 25, 2025, read |
|---|
| 3 | | - | first time and referred to Committee on Education K-16; |
|---|
| 4 | | - | April 9, 2025, reported favorably by the following vote: Yeas 10, |
|---|
| 5 | | - | Nays 0; April 9, 2025, sent to printer.) |
|---|
| 6 | | - | Click here to see the committee vote |
|---|
| 3 | + | |
|---|
| 4 | + | |
|---|
| 7 | 5 | | |
|---|
| 8 | 6 | | |
|---|
| 9 | 7 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
|---|
| 10 | 8 | | AN ACT |
|---|
| 11 | 9 | | relating to requiring foreign language credit opportunities for |
|---|
| 12 | 10 | | students enrolled in study abroad programs offered by certain |
|---|
| 13 | 11 | | institutions of higher education in this state. |
|---|
| 14 | 12 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
|---|
| 15 | 13 | | SECTION 1. Subchapter F, Chapter 51, Education Code, is |
|---|
| 16 | 14 | | amended by adding Section 51.313 to read as follows: |
|---|
| 17 | 15 | | Sec. 51.313. STUDY ABROAD: FOREIGN LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY. |
|---|
| 18 | 16 | | (a) In this section, "institution of higher education" and |
|---|
| 19 | 17 | | "private or independent institution of higher education" have the |
|---|
| 20 | 18 | | meanings assigned by Section 61.003. |
|---|
| 21 | 19 | | (b) For the purpose of providing the opportunity for |
|---|
| 22 | 20 | | students to gain proficiency in a foreign language, an institution |
|---|
| 23 | 21 | | of higher education or a private or independent institution of |
|---|
| 24 | 22 | | higher education that, through any baccalaureate degree program, |
|---|
| 25 | 23 | | offers a study abroad program in a location where a language other |
|---|
| 26 | 24 | | than English is primarily spoken shall provide an option that |
|---|
| 27 | 25 | | allows a student enrolled in the study abroad program to earn |
|---|
| 28 | 26 | | foreign language credit as part of that program. |
|---|
| 29 | 27 | | (c) The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board may |
|---|
| 30 | 28 | | establish procedures and adopt rules to implement this section. |
|---|
| 31 | 29 | | SECTION 2. Section 51.313, Education Code, as added by this |
|---|
| 32 | 30 | | Act, applies beginning with the 2025-2026 academic year. |
|---|
| 33 | 31 | | SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
|---|
| 34 | 32 | | a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
|---|
| 35 | 33 | | provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
|---|
| 36 | 34 | | Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
|---|
| 37 | 35 | | Act takes effect September 1, 2025. |
|---|