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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the information maintained by the Texas Education |
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Agency regarding postsecondary education and career opportunities. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 7.040, Education Code, is amended by |
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amending Subsections (a) and (c) and adding Subsection (a-1) to |
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read as follows: |
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(a) The agency shall prepare information comparing |
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institutions of higher education in this state and post the |
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information on the agency's Internet website. Information prepared |
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under this section shall be given to any [a] public or private |
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school student who requests the information. The information |
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shall: |
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(1) identify postsecondary education and career |
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opportunities, including information that states the benefits of |
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four-year and two-year higher education programs, postsecondary |
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technical education, skilled workforce careers, and career |
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education programs; |
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(2) assist prospective postsecondary students in |
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assessing the value of a certificate program, associate or |
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baccalaureate degree program, or other credential program offered |
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by an institution of higher education by comparing [compare] each |
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institution [of higher education] with other institutions |
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regarding: |
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(A) the relative cost of obtaining the |
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certificate, degree, or other credential, including: |
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(i) the total cost of attendance, based on |
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the most recent data released through the United States Department |
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of Education's College Scorecard online tool or a successor tool; |
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(ii) the total cost of tuition and fees; |
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(iii) the median cost of room and board; |
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(iv) the median student debt of students |
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who graduated with the certificate, degree, or other credential |
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from the institution as compared to the median student debt of all |
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students who graduated with the certificate, degree, or other |
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credential, based on the most recent data released through the |
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United States Department of Education's College Scorecard online |
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tool or a successor tool; |
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(v) the estimated monthly student loan |
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payment, computed using the standard 10-year repayment plan; and |
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(vi) the percentage of students who fully |
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repay student debt within the standard 10-year repayment period or, |
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if this information is not available for the program, the |
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percentage of students in all certificate programs, degree |
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programs, or other credential programs who fully repay student debt |
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within the standard 10-year repayment period [tuition]; |
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(B) educational outcomes for [the retention rate |
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of] students seeking the certificate, degree, or other credential, |
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including: |
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(i) the percentage of students who continue |
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in the program after the first year of study; |
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(ii) the graduation rate; and |
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(iii) the percentage of graduates employed |
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in a field related to the certificate program, degree program, or |
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other credential program within one year of graduation; and |
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(C) the median earnings of graduates, expressed |
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as a yearly amount and as a percentage of median student debt, based |
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on the most recent data released through the United States |
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Department of Education's College Scorecard online tool or a |
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successor tool [the graduation rate of students]; |
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[(D) the average student debt; |
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[(E) the loan repayment rate of students; and |
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[(F) the employment rate of students;] |
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(3) identify the state's future workforce needs, as |
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projected by the Texas Workforce Commission; and |
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(4) include annual wage information for the top 10 |
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highest demand jobs in this state, as identified by the Texas |
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Workforce Commission. |
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(a-1) The information required under Subsections |
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(a)(2)(A)(i), (iv), and (vi) and (a)(2)(C) must be updated each |
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time new data described by that provision is released through the |
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United States Department of Education's College Scorecard online |
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tool or a successor tool. |
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(c) Each institution of higher education shall: |
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(1) include on its Internet website, in a prominent |
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location that is not more than three hyperlinks from the website's |
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home page, a link to the information posted on the agency's Internet |
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website under Subsection (a); and |
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(2) disclose to a student on the student's enrollment |
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in or transfer to a certificate program, associate or baccalaureate |
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degree program, or other credential program at the institution the |
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information posted on the agency's Internet website under |
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Subsection (a) relating to the program. |
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SECTION 2. Section 2308A.007, Government Code, is amended |
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by adding Subsection (a-1) to read as follows: |
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(a-1) A credential library established under this section |
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must include the information described by Section 7.040(a), |
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Education Code. |
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SECTION 3. (a) As soon as practicable after the effective |
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date of this Act, the Texas Education Agency shall update the |
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information required under Section 7.040(a), Education Code, as |
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amended by this Act. |
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(b) As soon as practicable after the Texas Education Agency |
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completes the update required by Subsection (a) of this section, |
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the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board shall update the |
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comparative gainful employment data regarding public institutions |
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of higher education required to be maintained by the board under |
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Sections 51.762(b-1) and 51.763(b), Education Code, to include the |
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information required under Section 7.040(a), Education Code, as |
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amended by this Act. |
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(c) As soon as practicable after the Texas Education Agency |
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completes the update required by Subsection (a) of this section, |
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the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board and the Texas |
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Workforce Commission shall jointly update the credential library |
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established under Section 2308A.007, Government Code, to include |
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the information required under Section 7.040(a), Education Code, as |
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amended by this Act. |
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SECTION 4. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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Act takes effect September 1, 2023. |