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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the elimination of certain formula funding and dropped |
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course restrictions for returning adult students at public |
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institutions of higher education and to the tuition rate that may be |
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charged to those students for certain excessive undergraduate |
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hours. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 51.907, Education Code, is amended by |
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adding Subsection (e-1) to read as follows: |
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(e-1) The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board shall |
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adopt rules under which an institution of higher education shall |
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permit a student to drop one additional course under circumstances |
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described by Subsection (b) than the number of courses permitted to |
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be dropped under Subsection (c) or under a policy adopted under |
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Subsection (d) if the student: |
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(1) has reenrolled at the institution following a |
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break in enrollment covering the 24-month period preceding the |
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first class day of the initial semester or other academic term of |
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the student's reenrollment; and |
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(2) successfully completed at least 50 semester credit |
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hours of course work at the institution before that break in |
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enrollment. |
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SECTION 2. Section 54.014, Education Code, is amended by |
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adding Subsection (b-1) to read as follows: |
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(b-1) Notwithstanding Subsection (a), an institution of |
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higher education may not charge tuition to a resident undergraduate |
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student at a higher rate under that subsection for semester credit |
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hours for courses taken by the student that are required to be |
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included by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board in the |
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formulas established under Section 61.059 by application of Section |
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61.0595(f-1). |
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SECTION 3. Section 61.0595, Education Code, is amended by |
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adding Subsection (f-1) to read as follows: |
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(f-1) In the formulas established under Section 61.059, the |
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board shall include without consideration of Subsection (a) or (e) |
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funding for the first 15 additional semester credit hours earned by |
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a student who: |
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(1) has reenrolled at the institution following a |
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break in enrollment covering the 24-month period preceding the |
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first class day of the initial semester or other academic term of |
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the student's reenrollment; and |
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(2) successfully completed at least 50 semester credit |
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hours of course work at the institution before that break in |
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enrollment. |
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SECTION 4. Section 51.907, Education Code, as amended by |
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this Act, applies beginning with the 2017 fall semester. |
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SECTION 5. The changes in law made by this Act to Section |
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61.0595, Education Code, apply beginning with funding |
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recommendations made under Section 61.059, Education Code, for the |
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state fiscal biennium beginning September 1, 2019. |
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SECTION 6. 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, 2017. |