AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT

 

H.B. 992 seeks to prohibit a general academic teaching institution from counting a dropped class for purposes of the six-course limit if the student drops the class while enrolled at a public junior college and the student transferred to a general academic teaching institution after earning at least 30 semester credit hours or an associate degree.  The bill requires institutions of higher education to provide written notice of the limitations on the number of class drops to an undergraduate student before the end of the student's first semester at the institution.  The bill also creates an additional exemption as it relates to the 30-hour cap for semester credit hours earned by a student before receiving an associate degree that has previously been awarded to the student.

 

H.B. 992 amends current law relating to excess undergraduate credit hours at public institutions of higher education.

 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

 

Rulemaking authority previously granted to an institution of higher education is modified in SECTION 1 (Section 51.907, Education Code) of this bill.

 

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

 

SECTION 1.  Amends Section 51.907, Education Code, by amending Subsections (a) and (c) and adding Subsections (g) and (h), as follows:

 

(a) Defines, in this section, "general academic teaching institution," "institution of higher education," and "public junior college."

 

(c) Prohibits an institution of higher education, except as provided under rules adopted under Subsection (d) or by Subsection (g) unless Subdivision (2) applies, from permitting a student to drop more than six courses, including any course a transfer student has dropped at another institution of higher education, under circumstances described by Subsection (b) (relating to providing that this section only applies to an undergraduate in certain conditions); and prohibits a general a general academic teaching institution from permitting a student to whom Subsection (g) applies to drop more than four courses under circumstances described by Subsection (b).

 

(g)  Prohibits a general academic teaching institution, in determining the number of courses dropped by a student for purposes of this section, from counting a course dropped by a student enrolled in the institution if:

 

(1)  the student dropped the course while enrolled in a public junior college; and

 

(2)  the student transferred to the general academic teaching institution after earning from another institution of higher education at least 30 semester credit hours, or an associate degree.

 

(h)  Requires an institution of higher education to provide written notice to each undergraduate student of the provisions of this section before the end of the first semester in which the student is enrolled in the institution.

 

SECTION 2.  Amends Section 61.0595(d), Education Code, as follows:

 

(d)  Provides that the following are not counted for purposes of determining whether the student has previously earned the number of semester credit hours specified by Subsection (a):

 

(1)  semester credit hours earned by the student before receiving an associate or baccalaureate degree that has previously been awarded to the student; and

 

(2)-(5) Makes no changes to these subdivisions.

 

SECTION 3.  Provides that the change in law made by this Act to Section 61.0595, Education Code, applies beginning with the funding recommendations made under Section 61.059, Education Code, for the 2013-2014 academic year.

 

SECTION 4.  Provides that the change in law made by this Act to Section 51.907, Education Code, applies beginning with the fall 2011 semester.

 

SECTION 5.  Effective date: upon passage or September 1, 2011.