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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to authorization by the Texas Higher Education |
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Coordinating Board for certain public junior colleges to offer |
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baccalaureate degree programs. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 130.0012, Education Code, is amended by |
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adding Subsections (b-1), (b-2), (b-3), (k), and (l) to read as |
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follows: |
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(b-1) The coordinating board shall establish a pilot |
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project to examine the feasibility and effectiveness of authorizing |
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baccalaureate degree programs in the field of dental hygiene at a |
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public junior college that offers a degree program in that field, |
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has a main campus located in the county seat of a county with a |
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population greater than 200,000, and includes territory in at least |
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six public school districts located in two counties. Subsection (g) |
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does not apply to junior-level and senior-level courses offered |
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under this subsection. In its recommendations to the legislature |
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relating to state funding for public junior colleges, the |
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coordinating board shall recommend that junior-level and |
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senior-level courses offered under this subsection by a public |
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junior college receive the same state support as other courses |
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offered by the public junior college. |
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(b-2) Not later than January 1, 2017, the coordinating board |
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shall prepare a progress report on the pilot project established |
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under Subsection (b-1). Not later than January 1, 2019, the |
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coordinating board shall prepare a report on the effectiveness of |
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the pilot project, including any recommendations for legislative |
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action regarding the offering of baccalaureate degree programs in |
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the field of dental hygiene by a public junior college. The |
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coordinating board shall deliver a copy of each report to the |
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governor, the lieutenant governor, the speaker of the house of |
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representatives, and the chair of the standing committee of each |
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house of the legislature with primary jurisdiction over higher |
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education. Unless the authority to continue offering a |
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baccalaureate degree program in the field of dental hygiene is |
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continued by the legislature, a public junior college may not: |
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(1) enroll a new student in a baccalaureate degree |
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program under the pilot project after the 2019 fall semester; |
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(2) offer junior-level or senior-level courses for |
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those degree programs after the 2021 fall semester, unless the |
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coordinating board authorizes the college to offer those courses; |
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or |
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(3) award a baccalaureate degree under the pilot |
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project after the 2021 fall semester, unless the coordinating board |
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approves the awarding of the degree. |
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(b-3) This subsection and Subsections (b-1) and (b-2) |
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expire on the first June 15 following the first regular legislative |
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session that occurs after the fourth anniversary of the date a |
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public junior college offering a degree program in the field of |
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dental hygiene under Subsection (b-1) meets the accreditation |
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requirements of Subsection (c). |
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(k) The coordinating board shall adopt rules as necessary |
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for the administration of this section. |
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(l) In this section, "general academic teaching |
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institution" and "institution of higher education" have the |
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meanings assigned by Section 61.003. |
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SECTION 2. 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. |
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