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AN ACT
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relating to the exemption from the assessment requirements of the |
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Texas Success Initiative for students who successfully complete |
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certain college preparatory courses. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 51.3062(q-2), Education Code, is amended |
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to read as follows: |
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(q-2) A student who successfully completes a college |
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preparatory course under Section 28.014 is exempt from the |
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requirements of this section with respect to the content area of the |
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course. The exemption is effective for the two-year period |
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following the date the student graduates from high school, and the |
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student must enroll in the student's first college-level course in |
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the exempted content area in the student's first year of enrollment |
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in an institution of higher education. If the student earns less |
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than a C in the student's first college-level course in the exempted |
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content area, the institution shall advise the student of |
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non-course-based options for becoming college ready, such as |
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tutoring or accelerated learning. [The commissioner of higher
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education by rule shall establish the period for which an exemption
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under this subsection is valid.] The exemption applies only at the |
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institution of higher education that partners with the school |
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district in which the student is enrolled to provide the course, |
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except that the commissioner by rule may determine the manner in |
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which the exemption may be applied to institutions of higher |
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education other than the partnering institution. The Texas Higher |
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Education Coordinating Board shall collect and analyze data |
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regarding the effectiveness of college preparatory courses as |
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measured by students' successful completion of the first |
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college-level course in the exempted content area. The board shall |
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report its findings to all partnering institutions of higher |
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education and independent school districts of each college |
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preparatory course evaluated, as well as the governor, lieutenant |
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governor, speaker of the house of representatives, and the members |
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of the House and Senate Committees on Higher Education. |
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SECTION 2. The change in law made by this Act applies |
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beginning with the assessment of entering undergraduate students at |
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public institutions of higher education for the 2015 fall semester. |
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The assessment of an entering undergraduate student for an academic |
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term before that semester is covered by the law in effect before the |
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effective date of this Act, and that law is continued in effect for |
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that purpose. |
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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. |
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______________________________ |
______________________________ |
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President of the Senate |
Speaker of the House |
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I hereby certify that S.B. No. 1776 passed the Senate on |
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April 22, 2015, by the following vote: Yeas 30, Nays 0. |
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______________________________ |
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Secretary of the Senate |
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I hereby certify that S.B. No. 1776 passed the House on |
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May 22, 2015, by the following vote: Yeas 139, Nays 1, two |
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present not voting. |
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______________________________ |
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Chief Clerk of the House |
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Approved: |
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______________________________ |
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Date |
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______________________________ |
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Governor |