Texas 2025 - 89th Regular

Texas Senate Bill SB365 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

Old	New		Differences
1		-	S.B. No. 365
	1	+	By: Eckhardt, et al. S.B. No. 365
	2	+	(Howard, Lalani, Ward Johnson, Shofner, Wilson, et al.)
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3	4
4	5
5	6
	7	+	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
6	8		AN ACT
7	9		relating to the period for which an applicant for admission as an
8	10		undergraduate student to a public institution of higher education
9	11		is entitled to an academic fresh start.
10	12		BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
11	13		SECTION 1. Section 51.931, Education Code, is amended by
12	14		adding Subsections (c-1) and (c-2) to read as follows:
13	15		(c-1) In considering an applicant for admission under this
14	16		section, a public institution of higher education may choose to
15	17		disregard academic course credits or grades earned by the applicant
16	18		more recently than 10 years before the starting date of the semester
17	19		in which the applicant seeks to enroll, except the institution may
18	20		not disregard any credits or grades earned during the five-year
19	21		period preceding that date. An institution that chooses to
20	22		disregard course credits or grades earned during the additional
21	23		period permitted by this subsection must disregard all course
22	24		credits or grades earned during that period and may not award any
23	25		credit for those courses.
24	26		(c-2) Each public institution of higher education shall
25	27		adopt, post on the institution's Internet website, and submit to
26	28		the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board a policy regarding
27	29		the admissions made by the institution under this section,
28	30		including the period for which an applicant's course credits or
29	31		grades will be considered by the institution under the policy.
30	32		SECTION 2. Section 61.0595(c), Education Code, is amended
31	33		to read as follows:
32	34		(c) For a student enrolled in a baccalaureate program under
33	35		Section 51.931, semester credit hours that were earned by the
34	36		student [10 or more years] before the date the student began
35	37		[begins] the new degree program under Section 51.931 and that were
36	38		disregarded under institution policy as described by that section
37	39		are not counted for purposes of determining whether the student has
38	40		previously earned the number of semester credit hours specified by
39	41		Subsection (a).
40	42		SECTION 3. Section 51.931, Education Code, as amended by
41	43		this Act, applies beginning with admissions to a public institution
42	44		of higher education for the 2025 fall semester.
43	45		SECTION 4. Section 61.0595(c), Education Code, as amended
44	46		by this Act, applies beginning with funding recommendations made
45	47		under Section 61.059, Education Code, for the state fiscal biennium
46	48		beginning September 1, 2025, for semester credit hours earned by
47	49		students enrolling in a baccalaureate degree program at a public
48	50		institution of higher education under Section 51.931, Education
49	51		Code, as amended by this Act, for the 2025 fall semester or a
50	52		subsequent semester or term. Funding recommendations for semester
51	53		credit hours earned by a student who enrolled in a baccalaureate
52	54		degree program at a public institution of higher education under
53	55		Section 51.931, Education Code, as amended by this Act, before the
54	56		2025 fall semester are governed by the law in effect immediately
55	57		before the effective date of this Act, and the former law is
56	58		continued in effect for that purpose.
57	59		SECTION 5. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
58	60		a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
59	61		provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
60	62		Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
61	63		Act takes effect September 1, 2025.
62		-	______________________________ ______________________________
63		-	President of the Senate Speaker of the House
64		-	I hereby certify that S.B. No. 365 passed the Senate on
65		-	April 10, 2025, by the following vote: Yeas 29, Nays 1.
66		-	______________________________
67		-	Secretary of the Senate
68		-	I hereby certify that S.B. No. 365 passed the House on
69		-	April 23, 2025, by the following vote: Yeas 137, Nays 4, one
70		-	present not voting.
71		-	______________________________
72		-	Chief Clerk of the House
73		-	Approved:
74		-	______________________________
75		-	Date
76		-	______________________________
77		-	Governor