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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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amending Subsections (a), (b), (e), (g), and (h) and adding |
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Subsection (g-1) to read as follows: |
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(a) The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board may |
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[shall] authorize public junior colleges to offer baccalaureate |
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degree programs in the fields of applied science, [and] applied |
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technology, and nursing under this section. Offering a |
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baccalaureate degree program under this section does not otherwise |
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alter the role and mission of a public junior college. |
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(b) The coordinating board: |
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(1) shall authorize baccalaureate degree programs in |
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the fields of applied science and applied technology at each public |
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junior college that previously participated in a pilot project to |
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offer baccalaureate degree programs; and |
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(2) may authorize a baccalaureate degree program at a |
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public junior college primarily located in a municipality where a |
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medical school is located and with a population of 750,000 or more |
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that is primarily located in a county with a population of 1.5 |
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million or less that offers a degree program in the field of nursing |
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and has demonstrated a workforce need. |
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(e) In determining what baccalaureate degree programs are |
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to be offered, the coordinating board shall: |
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(1) apply the same criteria and standards the |
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coordinating board uses to approve baccalaureate degree programs at |
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general academic teaching institutions; and |
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(2) consider the following factors: |
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(A) [(1)] the workforce need for the degree |
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programs in the region served by the junior college; |
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(B) [(2)] how those degree programs would |
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complement the other programs and course offerings of the junior |
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college and whether the associate degree program offered by the |
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junior college in the same field has been successful; |
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(C) [(3)] whether those degree programs would |
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unnecessarily duplicate the degree programs offered by other |
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institutions of higher education; [and] |
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(D) [(4)] the ability of the junior college to |
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support the program with student enrollment and the adequacy of the |
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junior college's facilities, faculty, administration, libraries, |
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and other resources; and |
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(E) whether the junior college meets the taxable |
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property valuation amount established in Section 130.032. |
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(g) Except as provided by Subsection (g-1), in [In] its |
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recommendations to the legislature relating to state funding for |
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public junior colleges, the coordinating board shall recommend that |
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a public junior college that previously participated in a pilot |
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project to offer baccalaureate degree programs receive |
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substantially the same state support for junior-level and |
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senior-level courses in the field of applied science or applied |
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technology offered under Subsection (b)(1) [this section] as that |
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provided to a general academic teaching institution for |
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substantially similar courses. In determining the contact hours |
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attributable to students enrolled in a junior-level or senior-level |
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course offered under Subsection (b)(1) [this section] used to |
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determine a public junior college's proportionate share of state |
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appropriations under Section 130.003, the coordinating board shall |
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weigh those contact hours as necessary to provide the junior |
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college the appropriate level of state support to the extent state |
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funds for those courses are included in the appropriations. This |
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subsection does not prohibit the legislature from directly |
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appropriating state funds to support junior-level and senior-level |
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courses offered under Subsection (b)(1) [this section]. |
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(g-1) A degree program created under Subsection (b)(2) may |
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be funded solely by a public junior college's proportionate share |
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of state appropriations under Section 130.003, local funds, and |
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private sources. This subsection does not require the legislature |
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to appropriate state funds to support a degree program created |
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under Subsection (b)(2). |
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(h) Each biennium, each [Each] public junior college |
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offering a baccalaureate degree program under this section shall |
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conduct a review of each baccalaureate degree program offered and |
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prepare a [biennial] report on the operation, quality, and |
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effectiveness of those [the junior college's baccalaureate] degree |
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programs. A [and shall deliver a] copy of the report shall be |
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delivered to the coordinating board in the form and at the time |
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determined by the coordinating board. |
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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, 2017. |