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House Bill 8 |
House Author: VanDeaver et al. |
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Effective: See below |
Senate Sponsor: Creighton et al. |
House Bill 8 amends the Education Code to revise the funding system for public junior college districts through the establishment of the public junior college state finance program, administered by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB). The bill sets out general provisions relating to the program, including the recovery from a junior college district of an overallocation of funds, and sets out the amounts of base tier funding and performance tier funding to which a junior college district is entitled.
House Bill 8 establishes the financial aid for swift transfer (FAST) program for students to enroll in dual credit courses at no cost to the student. The bill entitles a participating public institution of higher education to an allotment equal to the amount of tuition for each dual credit course in which an eligible student is enrolled. The bill's provisions relating to the FAST program take effect June 9, 2023.
Also effective on that date, House Bill 8 provides for a "Texas Direct" associate degree awarded by a public junior college, public state college, or public technical institute. The bill also establishes the opportunity high school diploma program to provide an alternative means by which adult students enrolled in a workforce education program at a public junior college may earn a high school diploma through concurrent enrollment in a competency‑based education program.
House Bill 8, among other provisions, revises certain powers and duties of the THECB regarding higher education appropriations, requirements regarding information comparing institutions of higher education in Texas, and provisions relating to the transfer of lower division course credit.
House Bill 8 amends the Government Code to require a credential library established under the Tri‑Agency Workforce Initiative to include the information included in the electronic tools or platforms developed by the THECB to assist students in assessing the value of postsecondary credentials.
Except as otherwise provided, House Bill 8 takes effect September 1, 2023.