BILL ANALYSIS

C.S.H.B. 885

By: Harris

Higher Education

Committee Report (Substituted)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Amid the recent public health crisis and with a growing area population, the demand for nurses in Navarro County and surrounding counties is growing, particularly the demand for professionals with a bachelor of science degree in nursing. Navarro College, which already has a well-established nursing program at the associate degree level, may be poised to provide a more affordable pathway to the baccalaureate degree and to help meet the demand for nurses in area hospitals. C.S.H.B. 885 seeks to address this demand by exempting an approved nursing degree program offered by Navarro College from the property valuation requirement for a junior college seeking to offer a baccalaureate program.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.

ANALYSIS

C.S.H.B. 885 amends the Education Code to exempt Navarro College from the requirement for its junior college district to meet a $6 billion threshold level of district property valuation for purposes of offering a baccalaureate nursing degree program that is approved by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board with respect to certain special requirements applicable to such programs.

EFFECTIVE DATE

On passage, or, if the bill does not receive the necessary vote, September 1, 2021.

COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL AND SUBSTITUTE

While C.S.H.B. 885 may differ from the original in minor or nonsubstantive ways, the following summarizes the substantial differences between the introduced and committee substitute versions of the bill.

The substitute changes the terms of Navarro College's proposed exemption from the applicable property valuation requirement from an exemption for purposes of offering any baccalaureate degree program if the junior college district property valuation reaches a $4 billion threshold to

an exemption with no specified threshold that is specific to a baccalaureate nursing degree program approved in certain other respects by the coordinating board.