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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the information maintained by the Texas Education |
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Agency regarding postsecondary education and career opportunities. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 7.040, Education Code, is amended by |
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amending Subsection (a) and adding Subsection (a-1) to read as |
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follows: |
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(a) The agency shall prepare information comparing |
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institutions of higher education in this state and post the |
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information on the agency's Internet website. Information prepared |
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under this section shall be given to a public school student who |
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requests the information. The information shall: |
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(1) identify postsecondary education and career |
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opportunities, including information that states the benefits of |
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four-year and two-year higher education programs, postsecondary |
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technical education, skilled workforce careers, and career |
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education programs; |
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(2) compare each institution of higher education with |
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other institutions, both overall and disaggregated by |
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baccalaureate or associate degree or certificate program, |
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regarding: |
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(A) the relative cost of tuition; |
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(B) the retention rate of students; |
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(C) the graduation rate of students; |
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(D) the median [average] student debt, based on |
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the most recent data released through the United States Department |
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of Education's College Scorecard online tool or a successor tool; |
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(E) the loan repayment rate of students; [and] |
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(F) the employment rate of students; and |
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(G) the median earnings of students, expressed as |
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a yearly amount and as a percentage of student debt, at the first, |
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fifth, and tenth year after graduation, based on the most recent |
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data released through the United States Department of Education's |
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College Scorecard online tool or a successor tool; |
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(3) identify the state's future workforce needs, as |
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projected by the Texas Workforce Commission; and |
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(4) include annual wage information for the top 10 |
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highest demand jobs in this state, as identified by the Texas |
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Workforce Commission. |
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(a-1) The information required under Subsections (a)(2)(D) |
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and (G) must be updated each time new data described by those |
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paragraphs is released through the United States Department of |
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Education's College Scorecard online tool or a successor tool. |
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SECTION 2. (a) As soon as practicable after the effective |
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date of this Act, the Texas Education Agency shall update the |
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information required under Section 7.040(a), Education Code, as |
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amended by this Act. |
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(b) As soon as practicable after the Texas Education Agency |
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completes the update required by Subsection (a) of this section, |
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the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board shall update the |
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comparative gainful employment data regarding public institutions |
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of higher education required to be maintained by the board under |
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Sections 51.762(b-1) and 51.763(b), Education Code, to include the |
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information required under Section 7.040(a), Education Code, as |
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amended by this Act. |
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SECTION 3. 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, 2021. |