84R756 KEL-D
 
  By: Wu H.B. No. 301
 
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
  relating to the granting of undergraduate course credit by
  examination or assessment at public institutions of higher
  education; authorizing a fee.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  The heading to Section 51.968, Education Code,
  is amended to read as follows:
         Sec. 51.968.  ALTERNATE METHODS FOR EARNING UNDERGRADUATE
  COURSE CREDIT [FOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS COMPLETING
  POSTSECONDARY-LEVEL PROGRAM].
         SECTION 2.  Section 51.968(a)(4), Education Code, is amended
  to read as follows:
               (4)  "Institution of higher education" has the meaning
  assigned [means an institution of higher education, as defined] by
  Section 61.003[, that offers freshman-level courses].
         SECTION 3.  Section 51.968, Education Code, is amended by
  adding Subsections (a-1), (a-2), (a-3), (d), and (f-1) and amending
  Subsections (b), (c), and (e) to read as follows:
         (a-1)  This section applies only to an institution of higher
  education that offers freshman-level and sophomore-level courses.
         (a-2)  To maximize opportunities for students to earn
  undergraduate course credit at the institution, each institution of
  higher education shall develop and, at least once during each
  academic year, administer one or more institution-specific
  examinations or assessments by which entering or current
  undergraduate students may earn freshman-level or sophomore-level
  course credit in the same manner as an entering freshman student may
  earn course credit through a CLEP examination or Advanced Placement
  examination. The institution may charge a student a reasonable fee
  for taking an examination or assessment described by this
  subsection. The institution shall develop and administer
  examinations or assessments for course credit for as many
  freshman-level and sophomore-level courses as practicable and may
  develop those examinations or assessments using source material
  from other institutions of higher education.
         (a-3)  Each institution of higher education that ceases to
  offer credit through the College-Level Examination Program or the
  Advanced Placement Program for a specific course shall offer credit
  for the course through an institution-specific examination or
  assessment administered under Subsection (a-2).
         (b)  Each institution of higher education [that offers
  freshman-level courses] shall adopt and implement a policy to grant
  [undergraduate] course credit for freshman-level and
  sophomore-level courses to undergraduate [entering freshman]
  students who have:
               (1)  successfully completed the International
  Baccalaureate Diploma Program;
               (2)[, who have] achieved required scores on one or more
  examinations in the Advanced Placement Program or the College-Level
  Examination Program;
               (3)[, or who have] successfully completed one or more
  courses offered through concurrent enrollment in high school and at
  an institution of higher education; or
               (4)  achieved required scores on one or more
  institution-specific examinations or assessments administered by
  the institution under Subsection (a-2).
         (c)  In the policy, the institution shall:
               (1)  establish the institution's conditions for
  granting course credit, including the minimum required scores on
  CLEP examinations, Advanced Placement examinations, [and]
  examinations for courses constituting the International
  Baccalaureate Diploma Program, and institution-specific
  examinations or assessments administered by the institution under
  Subsection (a-2); and
               (2)  based on the correlations identified under
  Subsections [Subsection] (f) and (f-1), identify the specific
  freshman-level or sophomore-level course credit or other academic
  requirements of the institution, including the number of semester
  credit hours or other course credit, that the institution will
  grant to a student who successfully completes a course or program or
  achieves a required score on an examination or assessment as
  described by Subsection (b) [the diploma program, who successfully
  completes a course through concurrent enrollment, or who achieves
  required scores on CLEP examinations or Advanced Placement
  examinations].
         (d)  Each institution of higher education shall:
               (1)  report to the coordinating board:
                     (A)  a list of courses for which the institution
  offers undergraduate students the opportunity to earn course credit
  through an institution-specific examination or assessment;
                     (B)  the institution's policy adopted under this
  section; and
                     (C)  a schedule of any fees charged for an
  examination or assessment administered under Subsection (a-2); and
               (2)  include a copy of the list, policy, and applicable
  fee schedule with the institution's undergraduate student
  application materials, including application materials available
  on the institution's Internet website.
         (e)  On request of an applicant for admission as an entering
  undergraduate student [freshman], an institution of higher
  education, based on information provided by the applicant, shall
  determine and notify the applicant regarding:
               (1)  the amount and type of any course credit that would
  or could be granted to the applicant under the policy; and
               (2)  any other academic requirement that the applicant
  would satisfy under the policy.
         (f-1)  An institution of higher education shall:
               (1)  identify correlations between the subject matter
  and content of courses offered by the institution and the subject
  matter and content of institution-specific examinations or
  assessments administered by the institution under Subsection
  (a-2); and
               (2)  make that information available to the public on
  the institution's Internet website.
         SECTION 4.  The change in law made by this Act applies
  beginning with the 2016-2017 academic year.  An academic year
  occurring before that academic year is covered by the law in effect
  immediately before the effective date of this Act, and that law is
  continued in effect for that purpose.
         SECTION 5.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2015.