By: West S.B. No. 2086

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to measures to facilitate the transfer of students and course credit within the public higher education system.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

SECTION 1. Subchapter S, Chapter 61, Education Code, is amended by adding Section 61.834 to read as follows:

Sec. 61.834. REGIONAL CONSORTIUM FOR TRANSFER COMPACTS. (a) The board shall divide the state into regions for the purpose of establishing a regional consortium among the institutions of higher education located within each region to facilitate the transfer of students and the transfer of course credit between institutions within the region. In developing the regions, the board shall give consideration to existing consortiums.

(b) The board shall designate a general academic teaching institution within each region as the lead institution. Each public junior college, public state college, public technical institute, and general academic teaching institution shall participate in its assigned regional consortium.

(c) For the purposes of this section, each general academic teaching institution shall annually identify and report to the board the 25 degree programs with the greatest student enrollment at the institution or the degree programs in which a major has been declared that constitute at least 70 percent of the student enrollment at the institution. The board shall compile the information the board receives from the general academic teaching institutions in each regional consortium and report to each consortium the 25 degree programs at general academic teaching institutions in that consortium with the greatest student enrollment overall.

(d) Each regional consortium shall develop transfer compacts that identify specific courses included in the common course numbering system acceptable as credit toward the identified degree programs under Subsection (c) in each region. The transfer compacts must include agreements on the transfer of course credit for those degree programs and related student advising, career planning, and student support services at each institution in the regional consortium.

(e) The board shall adopt rules for the operation of a regional consortium established under this section.

SECTION 2. Section 61.830, Education Code, is amended to read as follows:

Sec. 61.830. PUBLICATION OF GUIDELINES ADDRESSING TRANSFER PRACTICES. (a) In its course catalogs and on its website, each institution of higher education shall publish guidelines addressing the practices of the institution regarding the transfer of course credit.

(b) In the guidelines, each [the] institution of higher education must identify a course by using the common course numbering system approved by the board.

(c) Each general academic teaching institution must include the following in its guidelines:

(1) the identified degree programs under Section 61.834(c) in the regional consortium in which the institution participates under Section 61.834 and the core curriculum and any additional lower-division requirements for each of those degree programs;

(2) a list of the courses offered by institutions of higher education participating in the institution's regional consortium that are considered by the board to be general academic transfer courses that may be offered for state funding by public junior colleges, public state colleges, and public technical institutes; and

(3) the field of study curriculum for each degree offered by the institution.

(d) Each public junior college, public state college, and public technical institute must prominently indicate in its guidelines any general academic teaching institution with which it has entered into an agreement concerning the transfer of course credit.

SECTION 3. (a) Not later than January 1, 2018, the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board shall establish the regional consortiums required by Section 61.834, Education Code, as added by this Act.

(b) Each regional consortium must develop the transfer compacts required under Section 61.834, Education Code, as added by this Act, to apply beginning with enrollment for the 2019 fall semester.

SECTION 4. The changes in law made by this Act to Section 61.830, Education Code, apply beginning with the 2019-2020 academic year.

SECTION 5. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this Act takes effect September 1, 2017.