Texas 2025 - 89th Regular

Texas Senate Bill SB757 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1	89R1615 KJE-F
2	2	By: Middleton S.B. No. 757
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7	7	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
8	8	AN ACT
9	9	relating to the review, funding, and continuation of degree and
10	10	certificate programs at public institutions of higher education
11	11	based on certain performance standards.
12	12	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
13	13	SECTION 1. Sections 61.0512(d), (e), and (f), Education
14	14	Code, are amended to read as follows:
15	15	(d) The board shall [may] review the number of degrees or
16	16	certificates awarded through a degree or certificate program every
17	17	five [four] years or more frequently, at the board's discretion.
18	18	(e) Subject to Section 61.05123(d), the [The] board shall
19	19	review each degree or certificate program offered by an institution
20	20	of higher education at least every five [10] years after a new
21	21	program is established using the criteria prescribed by Subsection
22	22	(c).
23	23	(f) Except as provided by Section 61.05123(f), the [The]
24	24	board may not order the consolidation or elimination of any degree
25	25	or certificate program offered by an institution of higher
26	26	education but may, based on the board's review under Subsections
27	27	(d) and (e), recommend such action to an institution's governing
28	28	board. If an institution's governing board does not accept
29	29	recommendations to consolidate or eliminate a degree or certificate
30	30	program, the university system or, where a system does not exist,
31	31	the institution, must identify the programs recommended for
32	32	consolidation or elimination on the next legislative
33	33	appropriations request submitted by the system or institution.
34	34	SECTION 2. Subchapter C, Chapter 61, Education Code, is
35	35	amended by adding Section 61.05123 to read as follows:
36	36	Sec. 61.05123. PROGRAM PERFORMANCE STANDARDS. (a) In
37	37	reviewing a degree or certificate program under Section 61.0512(e),
38	38	the board shall first determine using the most recent data
39	39	available from the Texas Workforce Commission, institutions of
40	40	higher education, the federal government, and any other reliable
41	41	source the median student loan debt as a percentage of median annual
42	42	earnings for program graduates the following number of years after
43	43	graduation:
44	44	(1) for an undergraduate program, two years;
45	45	(2) for a master's program or equivalent, three years;
46	46	and
47	47	(3) for a doctoral program or equivalent, five years.
48	48	(b) In determining the median student loan debt as a
49	49	percentage of median annual earnings for program graduates under
50	50	Subsection (a), the board may not consider, to the extent
51	51	practicable, program graduates who enrolled in a more advanced
52	52	degree or certificate program not later than two years after
53	53	graduation.
54	54	(c) The board shall assign a performance rating of:
55	55	(1) "reward" to a program with a debt as a percentage
56	56	of earnings value of 75 percent or less;
57	57	(2) "monitor" to a program with a debt as a percentage
58	58	of earnings value of more than 75 percent but not more than 100
59	59	percent;
60	60	(3) "sanction" to a program with a debt as a percentage
61	61	of earnings value of more than 100 percent but not more than 125
62	62	percent; and
63	63	(4) "sunset" to a program with a debt as a percentage
64	64	of earnings value of more than 125 percent.
65	65	(d) A degree or certificate program that receives a "reward"
66	66	performance rating is exempt from the portion of the review under
67	67	Section 61.0512(e) using the criteria prescribed by Section
68	68	61.0512(c).
69	69	(e) An institution of higher education may not use for a
70	70	degree or certificate program that receives a "sanction" or
71	71	"sunset" performance rating money appropriated for formula funding
72	72	increases, institutional enhancements, or exceptional items for
73	73	the first state fiscal biennium that begins after the program
74	74	receives the performance rating.
75	75	(f) Except as provided by Subsection (g), an institution of
76	76	higher education that receives notice from the board that a degree
77	77	or certificate program offered by the institution has received a
78	78	"sunset" performance rating:
79	79	(1) may not enroll new students in the program after
80	80	receipt of notice;
81	81	(2) shall:
82	82	(A) permit each student enrolled in the program
83	83	immediately before receipt of notice to complete the program; and
84	84	(B) inform each student enrolled in the program
85	85	regarding the rating and the ramifications of that rating; and
86	86	(3) after each student enrolled in the program
87	87	immediately before receipt of the notice graduates or leaves the
88	88	program, shall consolidate or eliminate the program, as required by
89	89	the board in the notice.
90	90	(g) If the prohibitions and requirements for a degree or
91	91	certificate program under Subsection (f) would result in a course
92	92	necessary to fulfill an institution of higher education's core
93	93	curriculum under Section 61.822 no longer being offered at the
94	94	institution, Subsection (f) and Section 61.054 do not apply to the
95	95	program to the extent necessary for the institution to offer that
96	96	course. If this subsection applies to more than one program at the
97	97	institution with respect to the same course, the board shall select
98	98	one of those programs to be exempt under this subsection.
99	99	(h) The board shall adopt rules necessary to implement this
100	100	section.
101	101	SECTION 3. Section 61.054, Education Code, is amended to
102	102	read as follows:
103	103	Sec. 61.054. EXPENDITURES FOR PROGRAMS DISAPPROVED BY
104	104	BOARD. No funds appropriated to any institution of higher
105	105	education may be expended for any program that [which] has been
106	106	disapproved by the board under this subchapter or, subject to
107	107	Section 61.05123(g), received a "sunset" performance rating under
108	108	Section 61.05123, unless the program is subsequently specifically
109	109	approved by the legislature.
110	110	SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.