BILL ANALYSIS
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AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT
H.B. 2099 seeks to enable nursing programs to share limited resources, grow the pool of nursing faculty, and increase the capacity of Texas's nursing education programs. H.B. 2099 implements several Legislative Budget Board recommendations to address Texas's nursing shortage.
This bill allows representatives from career colleges and private universities with nursing programs to participate on statutorily created higher education regional councils. This bill amends the Education Code to include admissions and available scholarships to nursing students as part of a common application used by all state nursing programs.
H.B. 2099 amends current law relating to improving access to nursing education programs.
RULEMAKING AUTHORITY
Rulemaking authority is expressly granted to the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board in SECTION 1 (Section 51.762, Education Code) of this bill.
SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS
SECTION 1. Amends Section 51.762, Education Code, by amending Subsection (a) and adding Subsection (g-1), as follows:
(a) Provides that the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB), with the assistance of an advisory committee composed of representatives of general academic teaching institutions, junior college districts, public state colleges, and public technical institutes, and with the consultation of all institutions of higher education that admit freshman-level students:
(1) is required to adopt by rule a common admission application form for use by a person seeking admission as a freshman student to a general academic teaching institution and an electronic common admission application form for use by a person seeking admission as a freshman student to an institution of higher education that admits freshman-level students, other than a general academic teaching institution;
(2) is required to:
(A) determine whether the adoption of an electronic common admission application form for use by a person seeking admission to an undergraduate nursing education program at an institution of higher education would be cost-effective for nursing schools; and
(B) adopt such a form by rule if the adoption is determined under Paragraph (A) to be cost-effective for nursing schools; and
(3) is authorized to adopt by rule a printed format common admission application form for use by a person seeking admission as a freshman student to an institution of higher education that admits freshman-level students, other than a general academic teaching institution.
(g-1) Provides that, if an electronic common admission application form for use by a person seeking admission to an undergraduate nursing education program at an institution of higher education is adopted under Subsection (a)(2)(B):
(1) THECB is required to seek input from representatives of undergraduate nursing education programs at institutions of higher education in prescribing the form; and
(2) the form is required to include a link to information regarding any available scholarship opportunities for undergraduate nursing education degree students offered by institutions of higher education.
SECTION 2. Amends Section 61.026, Education Code, as follows:
Sec. 61.026. COMMITTEES AND ADVISORY COMMITTEES. (a) Creates this subsection from existing text. Authorizes the chairman to appoint committees from THECB's membership as the chairman or THECB may find necessary from time to time. Makes nonsubstantive changes.
(b) Authorizes THECB, if THECB directs an advisory committee to assist THECB in exercising its authority under Section 61.051(j) (relating to prohibiting off-campus courses for credit from being offered by any public school without specific prior approval by THECB) regarding an off-campus course in nursing education, including clinical coursework, to require the advisory committee to include or consult with one or more career schools or colleges that are authorized to offer degrees in this state and are located in the area where the course is to be offered. Provides that, in this subsection, "career school or college" has the meaning assigned by Section 132.001 (Definitions).
SECTION 3. Requires THECB to make an initial determination regarding whether adopting an electronic common admission application form for undergraduate nursing education programs would be cost-effective as required by Section 51.762 (Common Admission Application Forms), Education Code, as amended by this Act, not later than September 1, 2014.
SECTION 4. Effective date: September 1, 2013.