By Swinford H.B. No. 2456 75R2867 JSA-D A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1-1 AN ACT 1-2 relating to state funding for and tuition charged to certain 1-3 undergraduate students who accumulate excessive credit hours and to 1-4 the number of credit hours required in a degree program. 1-5 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-6 SECTION 1. Subchapter C, Chapter 61, Education Code, is 1-7 amended by adding Section 61.0595 to read as follows: 1-8 Sec. 61.0595. FUNDING FOR CERTAIN EXCESS UNDERGRADUATE 1-9 CREDIT HOURS. (a) In the formulas established under Section 1-10 61.059, the board may not include funding for semester credit hours 1-11 earned by a resident undergraduate student who before the semester 1-12 or other academic session begins has previously earned 170 or more 1-13 semester credit hours for courses taken at any institution of 1-14 higher education while classified as a resident student for tuition 1-15 purposes. 1-16 (b) For a student enrolled in a baccalaureate program under 1-17 Section 51.931, semester credit hours earned by the student 10 or 1-18 more years before the date the student begins the new degree 1-19 program under Section 51.931 are not counted for purposes of 1-20 determining whether the student has previously earned the number of 1-21 semester credit hours specified by Subsection (a). 1-22 (c) The following are not counted for purposes of 1-23 determining whether the student has previously earned the number of 1-24 semester credit hours specified by Subsection (a): 2-1 (1) semester credit hours earned by the student before 2-2 receiving a baccalaureate degree that has previously been awarded 2-3 to the student; 2-4 (2) semester credit hours earned by the student by 2-5 examination or under any other procedure by which credit is earned 2-6 without registering for a course for which tuition is charged; and 2-7 (3) credit for a remedial education course or another 2-8 course that does not count toward a degree program at the 2-9 institution. 2-10 SECTION 2. Subchapter B, Chapter 54, Education Code, is 2-11 amended by adding Section 54.068 to read as follows: 2-12 Sec. 54.068. TUITION FOR EXCESSIVE UNDERGRADUATE HOURS. An 2-13 institution of higher education may charge a resident student 2-14 tuition at a higher rate than the rate charged to other resident 2-15 students, not to exceed the rate charged to nonresident students, 2-16 for a course for which Section 61.0595 requires the Texas Higher 2-17 Education Coordinating Board to exclude funding for the semester 2-18 credit hours that the student would earn if the student completed 2-19 the course. 2-20 SECTION 3. Subchapter C, Chapter 61, Education Code, is 2-21 amended by adding Sections 61.0551 and 61.0552 to read as follows: 2-22 Sec. 61.0551. CREDIT HOURS REQUIRED FOR DEGREE. (a) An 2-23 institution of higher education may not require a student to 2-24 complete more than 120 semester credit hours to complete a 2-25 baccalaureate degree program, except as otherwise provided by this 2-26 section. 2-27 (b) The board may permit an institution to require a student 3-1 to complete more than the number of semester credit hours permitted 3-2 by Subsection (a) to complete a baccalaureate degree program if the 3-3 institution establishes to the satisfaction of the board that the 3-4 requirement is reasonable considering the requirements for 3-5 comparable degree programs at other institutions, applicable 3-6 accreditation standards, professional trends and licensing 3-7 requirements in the field, and other relevant factors. The board 3-8 shall require an institution that receives approval of the semester 3-9 credit hour requirement for a degree program under this subsection 3-10 to reestablish the reasonableness of the requirement for that 3-11 degree program every five years. 3-12 (c) Subsection (a) does not prohibit a student from 3-13 completing more semester hours than required for the degree 3-14 program. 3-15 (d) Subsection (a) does not apply to a degree program in 3-16 existence on January 1, 1997, until September 1, 2002. On and 3-17 after that date, every baccalaureate degree program at an 3-18 institution of higher education must comply with this section. 3-19 Sec. 61.0552. INVENTORY OF PREREQUISITES. In connection 3-20 with its other duties under this subchapter, the board shall 3-21 maintain an up-to-date inventory of the prerequisites required for 3-22 each degree or certificate program at each institution of higher 3-23 education other than a junior college. 3-24 SECTION 4. (a) This Act takes effect September 1, 1997. 3-25 (b) The change in law made by Section 1 of this Act applies 3-26 only to a funding formula established under Section 61.059, 3-27 Education Code, on or after the effective date of this Act and does 4-1 not affect a formula established before the effective date. 4-2 (c) Section 54.068, Education Code, as added by this Act, 4-3 applies beginning with tuition charged for the 1999 fall semester. 4-4 SECTION 5. The importance of this legislation and the 4-5 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an 4-6 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the 4-7 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several 4-8 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.