BILL ANALYSIS

 

 

Senate Research Center	S.B. 1324
	By: Taylor
	Higher Education
	5/24/2019
	Enrolled

 

 

 

AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT

 

Last session, the legislature passed H.B. 655 by Clardy/Zaffirini that required students who have earned at least 30 semester credit hours (SCH) at a community college to file a degree plan. Except for dual credit offered through an Early College High School, dual credit is required to be in the core curriculum at an institution of higher education, a career and technical course, or a foreign language course. The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) reports that 73 percent of 2017 baccalaureate graduates took courses at a two-year institution of higher education and 34 percent took 30 or more SCH at a two-year institution before receiving their baccalaureate degree.

 

S.B. 1324 builds off of efforts made last session to require students who earn 15 semester credit hours of dual credit to file a degree plan with the institution of higher education granting the dual credit. In addition, it requires students to undergo advising after 15 SCH have been completed. If students wish to change their degree plan after 15 SCH, they are authorized to do so. This proposal also gives THECB rulemaking authority for intuitions to report this data. (Original Author's/Sponsor's Statement of Intent)

 

S.B. 1324 amends current law relating to the filing of a degree plan by students at public institutions of higher education.

 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

 

Rulemaking authority previously granted to the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board is modified in SECTION 1 (Section 51.9685, Education Code) of this bill.

 

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

 

SECTION 1. Amends Section 51.9685, Education Code, by adding Subsection (c-2) and amending Subsection (g), as follows:

 

(c-2) Requires a student enrolled in a course for joint high school and junior college credit under Section 130.008 (Courses For Joint High School and Junior College Credit) at a public junior college and to whom Subsection (b) (relating to requiring a student enrolled in an associate or bachelor's degree program at an institution of higher education to file a degree plan with the college not later than a certain deadline) or (c-1) (relating to requiring a student enrolled in an associate or bachelor's degree program at a public junior college to file a degree plan with the college not later than a certain deadline) does not apply to file a degree plan with the college not later than:

 

(1) the end of the second regular semester or term immediately following the semester or term in which the student earned a cumulative total of 15 or more semester credit hours of course credit for dual credit courses successfully completed by the student; or

 

(2) if the student begins the student�s first semester or term at the college with 15 or more semester credit hours of course credit for dual credit courses successfully completed by the student, the end of the student�s second regular semester or term at the college.

 

(g) Requires the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB), in consultation with institutions of higher education, to adopt rules as necessary for the administration of this section, including rules requiring institutions of higher education to report to THECB information regarding the filing of degree plans as required by this section, rather than authorizing THECB, in consultation with institutions of higher education, to adopt rules as necessary for the administration of this section.

 

SECTION 2. Amends Section 130.0104(c), Education Code, as follows:

 

(c) Requires a student enrolled in a multidisciplinary studies associate degree program established under this section, in complying with the requirements regarding the filing of a degree plan under Section 51.9685 (Required Filing of Degree Plan), to meet with an academic advisor to complete a degree plan that meets certain criteria, rather than requiring a student, notwithstanding Section 51.9685, before the beginning of the regular semester or term immediately following the semester or term in which a student successfully completes a cumulative total of 30 or more semester credit hours for coursework in a multidisciplinary studies associate degree program established under this section, to meet with an academic advisor to complete a degree plan, as defined by Section 51.9685(a)(1) (relating to the definition of "degree plan"), that meets certain criteria.

 

SECTION 3. Provides that this Act applies beginning with the 2019�2020 academic year.

 

SECTION 4. Effective date: upon passage or September 1, 2019.