BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 385

By: Murphy

Higher Education

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Interested parties suggest that certain formula funding and dropped course restrictions pose barriers to non-traditional students and the colleges and universities seeking to educate them. H.B. 385 seeks to remove those barriers by eliminating certain formula funding and dropped course restrictions for students enrolled in certain accelerated, affordable baccalaureate programs at public institutions of higher education.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.

ANALYSIS

H.B. 385 amends the Education Code to exempt an undergraduate student at a public institution of higher education from the limitations on the number of courses that may be dropped under certain circumstances if the student is enrolled in an accelerated baccalaureate program created in collaboration with the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board that uses a competency‑based model and year-round flat-rate tuition to facilitate degree completion, as verified by the coordinating board. This exemption applies beginning with the fall 2017 semester.

H.B. 385 prohibits the coordinating board from excluding from being counted in the hours reported to the Legislative Budget Board for formula funding contact hours or semester credit hours for a student's enrollment in a course for which the student has previously generated formula funding for the same course if the student is enrolled in an accelerated baccalaureate program created in collaboration with the coordinating board that uses a competency-based model and year-round flat-rate tuition to facilitate degree completion, as verified by the coordinating board. The bill requires the coordinating board, in the funding formulas used to make appropriations recommendations to the legislature, to include without consideration of certain statutory restrictions funding for semester credit hours earned by a student who is enrolled in such a program. These provisions apply beginning with funding recommendations made to the legislature for the 2020-2021 state fiscal biennium.

EFFECTIVE DATE

On passage, or, if the bill does not receive the necessary vote, September 1, 2017.