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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to measures to facilitate the transfer of students and |
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course credit within the public higher education system. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Subchapter S, Chapter 61, Education Code, is |
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amended by adding Section 61.834 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 61.834. REGIONAL CONSORTIUM FOR TRANSFER COMPACTS. |
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(a) The board shall divide the state into regions for the purpose |
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of establishing a regional consortium among the institutions of |
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higher education located within each region to facilitate the |
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transfer of students and the transfer of course credit between |
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institutions within the region. In developing the regions, the |
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board shall give consideration to existing consortiums. |
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(b) The board shall designate a general academic teaching |
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institution within each region as the lead institution. Each |
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public junior college, public state college, public technical |
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institute, and general academic teaching institution shall |
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participate in its assigned regional consortium. |
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(c) For the purposes of this section, each general academic |
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teaching institution shall annually identify and report to the |
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board the 25 degree programs with the greatest student enrollment |
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at the institution or the degree programs in which a major has been |
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declared that constitute at least 70 percent of the student |
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enrollment at the institution. The board shall compile the |
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information the board receives from the general academic teaching |
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institutions in each regional consortium and report to each |
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consortium the 25 degree programs at general academic teaching |
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institutions in that consortium with the greatest student |
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enrollment overall. |
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(d) Each regional consortium shall develop transfer |
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compacts that identify specific courses included in the common |
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course numbering system acceptable as credit toward the identified |
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degree programs under Subsection (c) in each region. The transfer |
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compacts must include agreements on the transfer of course credit |
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for those degree programs and related student advising, career |
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planning, and student support services at each institution in the |
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regional consortium. |
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(e) The board shall adopt rules for the operation of a |
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regional consortium established under this section. |
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SECTION 2. Section 61.830, Education Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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Sec. 61.830. PUBLICATION OF GUIDELINES ADDRESSING TRANSFER |
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PRACTICES. (a) In its course catalogs and on its website, each |
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institution of higher education shall publish guidelines |
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addressing the practices of the institution regarding the transfer |
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of course credit. |
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(b) In the guidelines, each [the] institution of higher |
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education must identify a course by using the common course |
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numbering system approved by the board. |
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(c) Each general academic teaching institution must include |
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the following in its guidelines: |
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(1) the identified degree programs under Section |
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61.834(c) in the regional consortium in which the institution |
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participates under Section 61.834 and the core curriculum and any |
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additional lower-division requirements for each of those degree |
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programs; |
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(2) a list of the courses offered by institutions of |
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higher education participating in the institution's regional |
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consortium that are considered by the board to be general academic |
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transfer courses that may be offered for state funding by public |
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junior colleges, public state colleges, and public technical |
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institutes; and |
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(3) the field of study curriculum for each degree |
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offered by the institution. |
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(d) Each public junior college, public state college, and |
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public technical institute must prominently indicate in its |
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guidelines any general academic teaching institution with which it |
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has entered into an agreement concerning the transfer of course |
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credit. |
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SECTION 3. (a) Not later than January 1, 2018, the Texas |
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Higher Education Coordinating Board shall establish the regional |
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consortiums required by Section 61.834, Education Code, as added by |
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this Act. |
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(b) Each regional consortium must develop the transfer |
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compacts required under Section 61.834, Education Code, as added by |
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this Act, to apply beginning with enrollment for the 2019 fall |
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semester. |
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SECTION 4. The changes in law made by this Act to Section |
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61.830, Education Code, apply beginning with the 2019-2020 academic |
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year. |
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SECTION 5. 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. |
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