By: Shapiro S.B. No. 1472

(In the Senate - Filed March 10, 2011; March 22, 2011, read first time and referred to Committee on Economic Development; April 26, 2011, reported adversely, with favorable Committee Substitute by the following vote: Yeas 4, Nays 0; April 26, 2011, sent to printer.)

COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR S.B. No. 1472 By: Harris

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to the coordinated dissemination of online information regarding the operation and performance of certain for-profit educational entities.

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

SECTION 1. Subchapter C, Chapter 61, Education Code, is amended by adding Section 61.0778 to read as follows:

Sec. 61.0778. ONLINE INFORMATION REGARDING CERTAIN FOR-PROFIT EDUCATIONAL ENTITIES. (a) In this section, "commission" means the Texas Workforce Commission.

(b) The board and commission jointly shall develop a comprehensive strategy to improve and coordinate the dissemination of online information regarding the operation and performance of for-profit private postsecondary educational institutions and for-profit career schools or colleges in this state. As part of the comprehensive strategy, the board and the commission shall compile, share, and compare existing data and other applicable information under the control of each agency and shall organize that information as nearly as possible according to the categories of information required for the online resumes of lower-division public institutions under Section 51A.103.

(c) For each for-profit private postsecondary educational institution or for-profit career school or college that the board or commission identifies as doing business in this state, the board and commission shall each publish on the agency's Internet website any information described by Subsection (b) that the board and commission jointly determine would assist a person in deciding whether to enroll in the institution, school, or college or in identifying or choosing which institution, school, or college to attend. The websites must:

(1) present information regarding those institutions, schools, and colleges in a manner that is:

(A) to the extent practicable, consistent among the institutions, schools, and colleges; and

(B) easily accessible and readily understandable to the public; and

(2) allow for interactive online reporting of complaints from the public about a specific institution, school, or college.

(d) The board and commission shall each refer any complaint the agency receives under Subsection (c)(2) regarding the operation and performance of a for-profit private postsecondary educational institution or for-profit career school or college to the consumer protection division of the attorney general's office for timely investigation and resolution of the complaint.

SECTION 2. 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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