1-1 AN ACT 1-2 relating to the authority of public institutions of higher 1-3 education to offer courses by distance learning. 1-4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-5 SECTION 1. Section 61.051(j), Education Code, is amended to 1-6 read as follows: 1-7 (j) No off-campus courses for credit may be offered by any 1-8 public technical institute, public community college, or public 1-9 college or university without specific prior approval of the board. 1-10 However, any of those institutions may offer a distance learning 1-11 course approved by the board with no in-state geographic 1-12 restrictions if the course is within the approved curriculum of the 1-13 institution. To facilitate the delivery of courses by distance 1-14 learning and to improve access to those courses, the board shall 1-15 encourage collaborative efforts to make the benefits of computer 1-16 access to educational opportunities widely available. The board 1-17 shall maintain a central informational resource accessible to the 1-18 general public, to be called the Texas Colleges On-Line, on which 1-19 institutions can place information relating to all 1-20 computer-accessible distance learning courses offered for credit by 1-21 institutions of higher education and including computer links, 1-22 addresses, or other directions to assist an interested person to 1-23 obtain additional information directly from the appropriate 1-24 institution. The board may not prohibit a public junior college 2-1 district from offering a course for credit outside the boundaries 2-2 of the junior college district when such course has met the 2-3 requirements for approval as adopted by the board. The board shall 2-4 establish regulations for the coordination of credit activities of 2-5 adult and continuing education by public technical institutes, 2-6 public community colleges, or public colleges and universities. 2-7 SECTION 2. The importance of this legislation and the 2-8 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an 2-9 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the 2-10 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several 2-11 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended, 2-12 and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its 2-13 passage, and it is so enacted. _______________________________ _______________________________ President of the Senate Speaker of the House I certify that H.B. No. 1404 was passed by the House on April 9, 1997, by the following vote: Yeas 144, Nays 0, 2 present, not voting; and that the House concurred in Senate amendments to H.B. No. 1404 on May 7, 1997, by the following vote: Yeas 138, Nays 0, 2 present, not voting. _______________________________ Chief Clerk of the House I certify that H.B. No. 1404 was passed by the Senate, with amendments, on May 5, 1997, by the following vote: Yeas 31, Nays 0. _______________________________ Secretary of the Senate APPROVED: _____________________ Date _____________________ Governor