MMA S.B. 1306 75(R)BILL ANALYSIS HIGHER EDUCATION S.B. 1306 By: Lucio (Walker) 4-27-97 Committee Report (Amended) BACKGROUND Section 51.306, Education Code, authorizes the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) to require institutions of higher education to administer a diagnostic test instrument of reading, writing, and mathematic skills. This test compares the skill level of individual students with the "skill level necessary for the student to perform effectively in an undergraduate degree program." This section also forbids a student from enrolling in upper division course work which would give the student 60 or more credit hours at an institution of higher education until the student has met or passed the minimum standards on all test scores. In Section 132.063, Education Code, a proprietary school is authorized to offer a degree approved by the THECB. PURPOSE S.B. 1306 would eliminate the requirement for proprietary schools to administer the diagnostic test instrument created by Section 51.306, Education Code, as well as the subsequent requirement that students in proprietary schools meet specified performance levels in order to receive a degree from such school. 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. SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS SECTION 1. Amends Section 132.063, Education Code by adding "ACADEMIC TESTING" to the heading, creating a subsection (a) for approved degrees and adding subsection (b) for academic testing to read as follows: Sec. 132.063. (b) Prohibits the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) from requiring students of proprietary schools to take or pass the test adopted by THECB under Section 51.306 in order to receive a degree. SECTION 2. Emergency clause. EXPLANATION OF AMENDMENTS COMMITTEE AMENDMENT NO. 1 Strikes the word "degree" from SECTION 1, Section 132.063(b) and replaces it with "certificate."