By: Castro (Senate Sponsor - Zaffirini) H.B. No. 992

(In the Senate - Received from the House April 19, 2011; April 26, 2011, read first time and referred to Committee on Higher Education; May 21, 2011, reported adversely, with favorable Committee Substitute by the following vote: Yeas 7, Nays 0; May 21, 2011, sent to printer.)

COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR H.B. No. 992 By: Zaffirini

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 adding Subsection (g) to read as follows:

(g) 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. The notice required by this subsection may be delivered by electronic mail or other method of written communication, as determined by 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 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; and

(6) semester credit hours earned by the student before receiving an associate degree that has been previously awarded to the student in excess of the number of semester credit hours required for the completion of that degree.

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.

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