By: Turner of Tarrant, et al. H.B. No. 449

(Senate Sponsor - Watson, Menéndez, West)

(In the Senate - Received from the House April 23, 2019; May 3, 2019, read first time and referred to Committee on Higher Education; May 19, 2019, reported favorably by the following vote: Yeas 8, Nays 0, 1 present not voting; May 19, 2019, sent to printer.) Click here to see the committee vote

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to a requirement that a public or private institution of higher education include a notation on a student's transcript under certain circumstances.

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

SECTION 1. Subchapter Z, Chapter 51, Education Code, is amended by adding Section 51.9364 to read as follows:

Sec. 51.9364. CERTAIN NOTATIONS REQUIRED ON STUDENT TRANSCRIPTS. (a) In this section, "postsecondary educational institution" means an institution of higher education or a private or independent institution of higher education, as those terms are defined by Section 61.003.

(b) If a student is ineligible to reenroll in a postsecondary educational institution for a reason other than an academic or financial reason, the institution shall include on the student's transcript a notation stating that the student is ineligible to reenroll in the institution for a reason other than an academic or financial reason.

(c) If a student withdraws from a postsecondary educational institution pending disciplinary charges that may result in the student becoming ineligible to reenroll in the institution for a reason other than an academic or financial reason, the institution may not end the disciplinary process until the institution makes a final determination of responsibility, including, if applicable, a determination of whether the student will be ineligible to reenroll in the institution for a reason other than an academic or financial reason. If, as a result of the disciplinary process, the student is ineligible to reenroll in the institution for a reason other than an academic or financial reason, the institution shall include on the student's transcript the notation required under Subsection (b).

(d) On request by the student, a postsecondary educational institution may remove from a student's transcript a notation required under this section if:

(1) the student is eligible to reenroll in the institution; or

(2) the institution determines that good cause exists to remove the notation.

(e) The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board shall adopt rules as necessary to implement this section. In adopting those rules, the coordinating board shall use the negotiated rulemaking procedures under Chapter 2008, Government Code.

SECTION 2. The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board shall adopt the rules required by Section 51.9364, Education Code, as added by this Act, as soon as practicable after this Act takes effect.

SECTION 3. The change in law made by this Act applies beginning with the 2019 fall semester.

SECTION 4. 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, 2019.

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