By: Gallego, Pete H.B. No. 1917
73R3690 RJA-D
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
1-1 AN ACT
1-2 relating to operation of a court reporter proprietary school.
1-3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-4 SECTION 1. Section 32.33, Education Code, is amended to read
1-5 as follows:
1-6 Sec. 32.33. Criteria. The administrator may approve the
1-7 application of such proprietary school when the school is found,
1-8 upon investigation at the premises of the school, to have met the
1-9 following criteria:
1-10 (a) The courses, curriculum, and instruction are of
1-11 such quality, content, and length as may reasonably and adequately
1-12 achieve the stated objective for which the courses, curriculum or
1-13 instruction are offered. For a school conducting a course of
1-14 instruction in court reporting, the school produces evidence that
1-15 the school has obtained approval for the curriculum from the Court
1-16 Reporters Certification Board.
1-17 (b) There is in the school adequate space, equipment,
1-18 instructional material and instructor personnel to provide training
1-19 of good quality.
1-20 (c) Educational and experience qualifications of
1-21 directors, administrators and instructors are adequate.
1-22 (d) The school maintains a written record of the
1-23 previous education and training of the applicant student and
1-24 clearly indicates that appropriate credit has been given by the
2-1 school for previous education and training, with the new training
2-2 period shortened where warranted through use of appropriate skills
2-3 or achievement tests and the student so notified.
2-4 (e) A copy of the course outline; schedule of tuition,
2-5 fees, refund policy, and other charges; regulations pertaining to
2-6 absence, grading policy, and rules of operation and conduct;
2-7 regulations pertaining to incomplete grades; the name, mailing
2-8 address, and telephone number of the Central Education Agency for
2-9 the purpose of directing complaints to the agency; the current
2-10 rates of job placement and employment of students issued a
2-11 certificate of completion; and notification of the availability of
2-12 the cost comparison information prepared under Section 32.21(b) of
2-13 this code through the Central Education Agency will be furnished
2-14 the student prior to enrollment.
2-15 (f) Except as provided by Section 32.40 of this code,
2-16 on completion of training, the student is given a certificate by
2-17 the school indicating the course and that training was
2-18 satisfactorily completed.
2-19 (g) Adequate records as prescribed by the
2-20 administrator are kept to show attendance and progress or grades,
2-21 and satisfactory standards relating to attendance, progress and
2-22 conduct are enforced.
2-23 (h) The school complies with all local, city, county,
2-24 municipal, state and federal regulations, such as fire, building
2-25 and sanitation codes. The administrator may require such evidence
2-26 of compliance as is deemed necessary.
2-27 (i) The school is financially sound and capable of
3-1 fulfilling its commitments for training.
3-2 (j) The school's administrators, directors, owners,
3-3 and instructors are of good reputation and character.
3-4 (k) The school has, maintains and publishes in its
3-5 catalogue and enrollment contract, the proper policy for the refund
3-6 of the unused portion of tuition, fees and other charges in the
3-7 event the student enrolled by the school fails to take the course
3-8 or withdraws or is discontinued therefrom at any time prior to
3-9 completion.
3-10 (l) The school does not utilize erroneous or
3-11 misleading advertising, either by actual statement, omission, or
3-12 intimation as determined by the State Board of Education.
3-13 (m) Such additional criteria as may be required by the
3-14 State Board of Education.
3-15 (n) The school does not use a name like or similar to
3-16 an existing tax supported school in the same area.
3-17 (o) The school furnishes to the Central Education
3-18 Agency the current rates of students who receive a certificate of
3-19 completion and of job placement and employment of students issued a
3-20 certificate of completion.
3-21 (p) The school furnishes to the Central Education
3-22 Agency for approval or disapproval student admission requirements
3-23 for each course or program offered by the school.
3-24 (q) The school furnishes to the Central Education
3-25 Agency for approval or disapproval the course hour lengths and
3-26 curriculum content for each course offered by the school.
3-27 (r) The school does not owe a civil penalty under
4-1 Section 32.611 of this code.
4-2 SECTION 2. Section 52.013(b), Government Code, is amended to
4-3 read as follows:
4-4 (b) The board may:
4-5 (1) appoint any necessary or proper subcommittee;
4-6 (2) hire necessary employees; <and>
4-7 (3) pay all reasonable expenses from available funds;
4-8 and
4-9 (4) approve curriculum for court reporter proprietary
4-10 schools as provided by Section 32.33, Education Code.
4-11 SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 1993, and
4-12 applies only to certificates of approval issued or renewed under
4-13 Chapter 32, Education Code, on or after that date. A certificate
4-14 of approval issued or renewed before the effective date of this Act
4-15 is covered by the law in effect when the certificate was issued or
4-16 renewed, and that law is continued in effect for that purpose.
4-17 SECTION 4. The importance of this legislation and the
4-18 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
4-19 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
4-20 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
4-21 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.