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        |  | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED | 
      
        |  | AN ACT | 
      
        |  | relating to the expansion of the College Credit for Heroes | 
      
        |  | demonstration program to lower-division public institutions of | 
      
        |  | higher education offering degrees in certain fields. | 
      
        |  | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | 
      
        |  | SECTION 1.  Section 302.0031, Labor Code, is amended by | 
      
        |  | amending Subsections (a) and (f) and adding Subsection (b-1) to | 
      
        |  | read as follows: | 
      
        |  | (a)  In this section: | 
      
        |  | (1) "Institution[ , "institution] of higher education," | 
      
        |  | "public junior college," "public state college," and "public | 
      
        |  | technical institute" have [ has] the meanings [meaning] assigned by | 
      
        |  | Section 61.003, Education Code. | 
      
        |  | (2)  "Lower-division institution of higher education" | 
      
        |  | means a public junior college, public state college, or public | 
      
        |  | technical institute. | 
      
        |  | (b-1)  The commission shall administer the College Credit | 
      
        |  | for Heroes demonstration program at each lower-division | 
      
        |  | institution of higher education that offers a degree program in the | 
      
        |  | field of applied science or in a closely related field, as | 
      
        |  | determined by the commission in consultation with the Texas Higher | 
      
        |  | Education Coordinating Board for purposes of this subsection.  The | 
      
        |  | commission by rule shall establish a procedure through which a | 
      
        |  | lower-division institution of higher education described by this | 
      
        |  | subsection may opt out of participating in the program. | 
      
        |  | (f)  The commission shall [ may] adopt rules as necessary for | 
      
        |  | the administration of this section. | 
      
        |  | SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2015. |