82R2003 JRJ-D

By: Castro H.B. No. 992

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to excess undergraduate credit hours at public

institutions of higher education.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

SECTION 1. Section 51.907, Education Code, is amended by

amending Subsections (a) and (c) and adding Subsections (g) and (h)

to read as follows:

(a) In this section, "general academic teaching

institution," "governing board," [and] "institution of higher

education," and "public junior college" have the meanings assigned

by Section 61.003.

(c) Except as provided under rules adopted under Subsection

(d) or by Subsection (g), an institution of higher education may not

permit 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).

(g) In determining the number of courses dropped by a

student for purposes of this section, a general academic teaching

institution may not count 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:

(A) at least 30 semester credit hours; or

(B) an associate degree.

(h) An institution of higher education shall 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. Section 61.0595(d), Education Code, is amended

to read as follows:

(d) 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 [a] baccalaureate degree that has

previously been awarded to the student;

(2) semester credit hours earned by the student by

examination or under any other procedure by which credit is earned

without registering for a course for which tuition is charged;

(3) credit for a remedial education course, a

technical course, a workforce education course funded according to

contact hours, or another course that does not count toward a degree

program at the institution;

(4) semester credit hours earned by the student at a

private institution or an out-of-state institution; and

(5) semester credit hours earned by the student before

graduating from high school and used to satisfy high school

graduation requirements.

SECTION 3. 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. The change in law made by this Act to Section

51.907, Education Code, applies beginning with the fall 2011

semester.

SECTION 5. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives

a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as

provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this

Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this

Act takes effect September 1, 2011.