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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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adding Subsections (b-4), (e-1), and (g-1) and amending Subsections |
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(e) and (h) to read as follows: |
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(b-4) The coordinating board may authorize baccalaureate |
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degree programs under this section at one or more public junior |
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colleges that offer a degree program in the field of nursing and |
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have demonstrated a workforce need. Offering a baccalaureate |
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degree program under this subsection does not otherwise alter the |
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role and mission of a public junior college. |
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(e) In determining whether a public junior college may offer |
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[what] baccalaureate degree programs and what degree programs may |
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[are 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 degree programs with student enrollment [program] and |
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the adequacy of the junior college's facilities, faculty, |
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administration, libraries, and other resources. |
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(e-1) A public junior college may offer a baccalaureate |
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degree program under this section only if its junior college |
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district meets the taxable property valuation amount established in |
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Section 130.032. |
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(g-1) Notwithstanding Subsection (g), a degree program |
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created under Subsection (b-4) may be funded only by a public junior |
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college's proportionate share of state appropriations under |
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Section 130.003, local funds, and private sources. This subsection |
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does not require the legislature to appropriate state funds to |
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support a degree program created under Subsection (b-4). |
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(h) Each biennium, each public junior college offering a |
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baccalaureate degree program under this section shall conduct a |
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review of each baccalaureate degree program offered and prepare a |
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[biennial] report on the operation, quality, and effectiveness of |
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those [the junior college's baccalaureate] degree programs. A [and
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shall deliver a] copy of the report shall be delivered to the |
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coordinating board in the form and at the time determined by the |
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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. |