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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to requiring the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board |
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to create a tool to allow prospective students to compare general |
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academic teaching institutions by certain criteria. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Subchapter C, Chapter 61, Education Code, is |
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amended by adding Section 61.09021 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 61.09021. COMPARISON TOOL. (a) The board shall make |
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available to the public on the board's Internet website a search |
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tool that allows a person to compare general academic teaching |
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institutions that meet certain criteria selected by the person, |
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including offering a particular major or program of study. |
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(b) The comparison tool required under this section must: |
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(1) be accessible from the board's Internet website; |
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(2) allow a user to identify general academic teaching |
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institutions according to selection criteria as determined by the |
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board; and |
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(3) be accessible to the public without requiring |
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registration or use of a user name, password, or other user |
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identification. |
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(c) The comparison tool required under this section must |
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generate a comparison chart in a grid format that: |
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(1) lists the general academic teaching institutions |
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that match a user's search criteria; and |
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(2) provides information for each institution listed |
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that the board has determined would aid a prospective student in |
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evaluating the institution. |
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(d) The Internet page displaying the comparison chart must |
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include a link to the Internet website of the Texas Workforce |
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Commission. |
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(e) To the extent practicable, the information provided |
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under Subsection (c) must consist of information that a general |
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academic teaching institution is required to report to the board |
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under another provision of law, including board rule. |
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(f) Each general academic teaching institution shall |
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provide to the board the information to be provided under |
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Subsection (c) not later than October 1, or a date determined by the |
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board, of each year. The board shall update the comparison tool as |
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soon as practicable after receiving information from each |
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institution. |
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SECTION 2. Not later than February 1, 2013, the Texas Higher |
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Education Coordinating Board shall create and post on the board's |
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Internet website the comparison tool required by Section 61.09021, |
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Education Code, as added by this Act. |
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SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2011. |