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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the creation of an advisory committee to recommend a |
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uniform pre-nursing curriculum for undergraduate professional |
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nursing programs offered by public institutions of higher |
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education. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Subchapter B, Chapter 61, Education Code, is |
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amended by adding Section 61.0261 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 61.0261. UNIFORM PRE-NURSING CURRICULUM ADVISORY |
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COMMITTEE. (a) In this section: |
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(1) "Pre-nursing curriculum" means a curriculum |
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designed to prepare students for enrollment in an undergraduate |
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professional nursing program. |
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(2) "Undergraduate professional nursing program" |
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means an educational program for preparing students for initial |
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licensure as registered nurses. |
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(b) The Uniform Pre-Nursing Curriculum Advisory Committee |
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is created to develop and make recommendations on a uniform |
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pre-nursing curriculum for undergraduate professional nursing |
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programs offered by institutions of higher education. The advisory |
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committee consists of at least 16 members as follows: |
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(1) the commissioner of higher education or the |
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commissioner's designee; |
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(2) the executive director of the Texas Board of |
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Nursing or the executive director's designee; |
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(3) two representatives of professional nursing |
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associations, appointed by the board; and |
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(4) a representative from the undergraduate |
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professional nursing programs offered by at least 12 institutions |
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of higher education, appointed by the board in accordance with the |
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following: |
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(A) at least three representatives must be from |
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junior colleges; |
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(B) at least three representatives must be from |
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general academic teaching institutions; and |
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(C) at least three representatives must be from |
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health science centers. |
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(c) The members of the advisory committee may not receive |
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compensation for their service. |
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(d) The advisory committee shall assess, as of September 1, |
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2015: |
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(1) the prerequisite courses that are required for |
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each undergraduate professional nursing program in this state; and |
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(2) the ability of a student to use course credit |
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earned at one institution of higher education to qualify for |
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admission to an undergraduate professional nursing program offered |
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by another institution of higher education. |
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(e) The advisory committee shall develop and make |
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recommendations regarding the creation of a uniform pre-nursing |
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curriculum. Recommendations under this section must specify: |
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(1) the prerequisite courses that a student must |
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complete to qualify for admission to each undergraduate |
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professional nursing program offered by an institution of higher |
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education; and |
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(2) the content for the courses under Subdivision (1). |
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(f) Not later than September 1, 2016, the advisory committee |
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shall prepare and submit to the legislature and to each standing |
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legislative committee with primary jurisdiction over higher |
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education a report containing the committee's findings under this |
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section, including the recommended uniform pre-nursing curriculum. |
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(g) This section expires January 1, 2017. |
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SECTION 2. Not later than January 1, 2016, the Texas Higher |
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Education Coordinating Board shall make the appointments to the |
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Uniform Pre-Nursing Curriculum Advisory Committee required under |
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Section 61.0261(b), Education Code, as added by this Act. |
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SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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Act takes effect September 1, 2015. |