BILL ANALYSIS

Senate Research Center	S.B. 427
88R4478 JTZ-F	By: Kolkhorst
	Subcommittee on Higher Education
	4/12/2023
	As Filed

AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT

Currently, any student graduating with a baccalaureate degree or a lesser degree or academic certificate received credit for six semester hours or its equivalent in American history. Students are entitled to submit three semester hours of credit or its equivalent in Texas history in partial satisfaction of this requirement. Recent data has shown that not all community colleges offer Texas history, which is an important course for any Texas college student.

To ensure all students have access to a Texas history course, S.B. 472 requires any college or university receiving state support or state aid from public funds to provide access to a Texas history course. If the college or university does not offer at least three semester credit hours or the equivalent in Texas history to their undergraduate students, they are required to enter into an agreement with another institution to provide their students access to such a Texas history course.

As proposed, S.B. 427 amends current law relating to requiring certain institutions of higher education to enter into an agreement to offer undergraduate courses in Texas History.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

This bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, institution, or agency.

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1. Amends Section 51.302, Education Code, by adding Subsection (d), as follows:

(d) Requires a college or university receiving state support or state aid from public funds that does not offer at least three semester credit hours or the equivalent in Texas history to undergraduate students to enter into an agreement with another postsecondary educational institution to offer to the college or university's undergraduate students at least three semester credit hours or the equivalent in Texas history.

SECTION 2. Provides that this Act applies beginning with the 2023�2024 academic year.

SECTION 3. Effective date: upon passage or September 1, 2023.