H.B. No. 8
 
 
 
 
AN ACT
  relating to public higher education, including the public junior
  college state finance program.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Section 7.040(a), Education Code, is amended to
  read as follows:
         (a)  The agency shall prepare information comparing
  institutions of higher education in this state and post the
  information on the agency's Internet website. Information prepared
  under this section shall be made publicly available in a manner that
  is accessible [given] to any [a] public or private school student
  seeking [who requests] the information. The information shall:
               (1)  identify postsecondary education and career
  opportunities, including information that states the benefits of
  four-year and two-year higher education programs, postsecondary
  technical education, skilled workforce careers, and career
  education programs;
               (2)  assist prospective postsecondary students in
  assessing the value of a certificate program, associate or
  baccalaureate degree program, or other credential program offered
  by an institution of higher education by comparing [compare] each
  institution [of higher education] with other institutions using
  information included in the electronic tools or platforms developed
  by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board under Section
  61.09022(a) [regarding:
                     [(A)  the relative cost of tuition;
                     [(B)  the retention rate of students;
                     [(C)  the graduation rate of students;
                     [(D)  the average student debt;
                     [(E)  the loan repayment rate of students; and
                     [(F)  the employment rate of students];
               (3)  identify the state's future workforce needs, as
  projected by the Texas Workforce Commission; [and]
               (4)  include annual starting wage information and
  educational requirements for the top 25 [10] highest demand jobs in
  this state, as identified by the Texas Workforce Commission;
               (5)  identify the 40 baccalaureate degree programs with
  the highest average annual wages following graduation; and
               (6)  identify the 20 associate degree or certificate
  programs with the highest average annual wages following
  graduation.
         SECTION 2.  Section 28.009(b-2), Education Code, is amended
  to read as follows:
         (b-2)  Any agreement, including a memorandum of
  understanding or articulation agreement, between a school district
  and public institution of higher education to provide a dual credit
  program described by Subsection (b-1) must:
               (1)  include specific program goals aligned with the
  statewide goals developed under Subsection (b-1);
               (2)  establish common advising strategies and
  terminology related to dual credit and college readiness;
               (3)  provide for the alignment of endorsements
  described by Section 28.025(c-1) offered by the district, and dual
  credit courses offered under the agreement that apply towards those
  endorsements, with postsecondary pathways and credentials at the
  institution and industry certifications;
               (4)  identify tools, including tools developed by the
  agency, the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, or the Texas
  Workforce Commission, to assist school counselors, students, and
  families in selecting endorsements offered by the district and dual
  credit courses offered under the agreement;
               (5)  establish, or provide a procedure for
  establishing, the course credits that may be earned under the
  agreement, including by developing a course equivalency crosswalk
  or other method for equating high school courses with college
  courses and identifying the number of credits that may be earned for
  each course completed through the program;
               (6)  describe the academic supports and, if applicable,
  guidance that will be provided to students participating in the
  program;
               (7)  establish the district's and the institution's
  respective roles and responsibilities in providing the program and
  ensuring the quality and instructional rigor of the program;
               (8)  state the sources of funding for courses offered
  under the program, including, at a minimum, the sources of funding
  for tuition, transportation, and any required fees or textbooks for
  students participating in the program;
               (9)  require the district and the institution to
  consider the use of free or low-cost open educational resources in
  courses offered under the program;
               (10)  ensure the accurate and timely exchange of
  information necessary for an eligible student to enroll at no cost
  in a dual credit course as provided by Section 28.0095;
               (11)  be posted each year on the district's and the
  institution's respective Internet websites; and
               (12) [(11)]  designate at least one employee of the
  district or institution as responsible for providing academic
  advising to a student who enrolls in a dual credit course under the
  program before the student begins the course.
         SECTION 3.  Subchapter A, Chapter 28, Education Code, is
  amended by adding Section 28.0095 to read as follows:
         Sec. 28.0095.  FINANCIAL AID FOR SWIFT TRANSFER (FAST)
  PROGRAM.  (a)  In this section:
               (1)  "Charter school" means a charter school operating
  under Chapter 12.
               (2)  "Coordinating board" means the Texas Higher
  Education Coordinating Board.
               (3)  "Dual credit course" includes a course offered for
  joint high school and junior college credit under Section 130.008
  or another course offered by an institution of higher education for
  which a high school student may earn credit toward satisfaction of:
                     (A)  a requirement necessary to obtain an
  industry-recognized credential or certificate or an associate
  degree;
                     (B)  a foreign language requirement at an
  institution of higher education;
                     (C)  a requirement in the core curriculum, as that
  term is defined by Section 61.821, at an institution of higher
  education; or
                     (D)  a requirement in a field of study curriculum
  developed by the coordinating board under Section 61.823.
               (4)  "Institution of higher education" has the meaning
  assigned by Section 61.003.
         (b)  The agency and the coordinating board shall jointly
  establish the Financial Aid for Swift Transfer (FAST) program to
  allow eligible students to enroll at no cost to the student in dual
  credit courses at participating institutions of higher education.
         (c)  A student is eligible to enroll at no cost in a dual
  credit course under the program if the student:
               (1)  is enrolled:
                     (A)  in high school in a school district or
  charter school; and
                     (B)  in a dual credit course at a participating
  institution of higher education; and
               (2)  was educationally disadvantaged at any time during
  the four school years preceding the student's enrollment in the
  dual credit course described by Subdivision (1)(B).
         (d)  An institution of higher education is eligible to
  participate in the program only if the institution charges for each
  dual credit course offered by the institution an amount of tuition
  that does not exceed the amount prescribed by coordinating board
  rule.
         (e)  Each school district or charter school shall:
               (1)  on a high school student's enrollment in a dual
  credit course, determine whether the student meets the criteria for
  the program under Subsection (c)(2); and
               (2)  notify the institution of higher education that
  offers the dual credit course in which the student is enrolled of
  the district's or school's determination under Subdivision (1).
         (f)  A school district or charter school may make the
  determination under Subsection (e)(1) based on the district's or
  school's records, the agency's records, or any other method
  authorized by commissioner or coordinating board rule.  If the
  district or school bases the determination on a method other than
  the agency's records, the district or school shall report the
  method used and the data on which the method is based to the agency
  for purposes of verification.
         (g)  At least once each year, a participating institution of
  higher education shall certify to the agency and the coordinating
  board the student's eligibility for the program. Notwithstanding
  Section 54.051, a participating institution of higher education may
  not charge tuition or fees for the enrollment in a dual credit
  course at the institution of a student for whom the institution
  receives notice under Subsection (e)(2).
         (h)  The coordinating board shall distribute money
  transferred to the coordinating board under Section 48.308 to the
  participating institutions of higher education in proportion to the
  number of dual credit courses in which eligible students are
  enrolled at the institution.
         (i)  The commissioner and the commissioner of higher
  education shall coordinate as necessary to:
               (1)  confirm an eligible student's enrollment in a
  participating institution of higher education; and
               (2)  obtain or share data necessary to verify a
  student's eligibility under Subsection (c)(2).
         (j)  The commissioner and the coordinating board shall adopt
  rules as necessary to implement this section. Notwithstanding
  Section 61.033, the coordinating board is not required to use
  negotiated rulemaking procedures under Chapter 2008, Government
  Code, for the adoption of rules under this section.
         SECTION 4.  Section 28.010(a), Education Code, is amended to
  read as follows:
         (a)  Each school year, a school district shall notify the
  parent of each district student enrolled in grade nine or above of:
               (1)  the availability of:
                     (A)  programs in the district under which a
  student may earn college credit, including advanced placement
  programs, dual credit programs, joint high school and college
  credit programs, and international baccalaureate programs;
                     (B)  career and technology education programs or
  other work-based education programs in the district, including any
  internship, externship, or apprenticeship programs or a P-TECH
  program under Subchapter N, Chapter 29; [and]
                     (C)  subsidies based on financial need available
  for fees paid to take college advanced placement tests or
  international baccalaureate examinations under Section 28.054; and
                     (D)  funding for enrollment in dual credit courses
  under Section 28.0095; and
               (2)  the qualifications for:
                     (A)  enrolling in programs described by
  Subdivision (1)(A) or (B); or
                     (B)  funding described by Subdivision (1)(D).
         SECTION 5.  Section 28.0253(a)(2), Education Code, is
  amended to read as follows:
               (2)  "Eligible institution" means an institution of
  higher education [that is designated as a research university or
  emerging research university under the coordinating board's
  accountability system].
         SECTION 6.  Section 28.0253(e), Education Code, is amended
  to read as follows:
         (e)  A school district or open-enrollment charter school
  shall allow a student to graduate and receive [may issue] a high
  school diploma [to a student] under the program if, using the
  standards established under Subsection (c), the student
  demonstrates mastery of and early readiness for college in each of
  the subject areas described by that subsection and in a language
  other than English, notwithstanding any other local or state
  requirements.
         SECTION 7.  Section 29.908(b), Education Code, is amended to
  read as follows:
         (b)  The program must:
               (1)  provide for a course of study that enables a
  participating student to combine high school courses and
  college-level courses during grade levels 9 through 12;
               (2)  allow a participating student to complete high
  school and enroll in a program at an institution of higher education
  that will enable the student to, on or before the fifth anniversary
  of the date of the student's first day of high school, receive a
  high school diploma and either:
                     (A)  an applied associate degree, as defined by
  Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board rule; or
                     (B)  an academic associate degree, as defined by
  Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board rule, with a completed
  field of study curriculum developed under Section 61.823 that is
  transferable [at least 60 semester credit hours] toward a
  baccalaureate degree at one or more general academic teaching
  institutions, as defined by Section 61.003;
               (3)  include articulation agreements with colleges,
  universities, and technical schools in this state to provide a
  participating student access to postsecondary educational and
  training opportunities at a college, university, or technical
  school; and
               (4)  provide a participating student flexibility in
  class scheduling and academic mentoring.
         SECTION 8.  Subchapter G, Chapter 48, Education Code, is
  amended by adding Section 48.308 to read as follows:
         Sec. 48.308.  ALLOTMENT FOR FINANCIAL AID FOR SWIFT TRANSFER
  (FAST) PROGRAM.  (a)  In this section:
               (1)  "Coordinating board" means the Texas Higher
  Education Coordinating Board.
               (2)  "FAST program" means the Financial Aid for Swift
  Transfer (FAST) program under Section 28.0095.
         (b)  An institution of higher education participating in the
  FAST program is entitled to an allotment in an amount equal to the
  amount of tuition set by coordinating board rule under Section
  28.0095(d) for each dual credit course in which a student eligible
  to participate in the FAST program is enrolled at the institution.
         (c)  The agency shall transfer the total amount of allotments
  under this section to the coordinating board for distribution in
  accordance with Section 28.0095(h).
         (d)  The agency and the coordinating board shall coordinate
  as necessary to implement this section.
         (e)  The legislature shall include in amounts appropriated
  for the Foundation School Program an amount of state aid sufficient
  for the agency to make the transfer required under Subsection (c).
         SECTION 9.  Section 51.4033, Education Code, is amended to
  read as follows:
         Sec. 51.4033.  REPORT OF NONTRANSFERABLE CREDIT. (a) Not
  later than May [March] 1 of each year and in the form prescribed by
  the coordinating board, each general academic teaching institution
  shall provide to the coordinating board and the legislature a
  report describing any courses in the Lower-Division Academic Course
  Guide Manual or its successor adopted by the coordinating board for
  which a student who transfers to the institution from another
  institution of higher education is not granted:
               (1)  academic credit at the receiving institution; or
               (2)  if the student has declared a major and has not
  changed majors, academic credit toward the student's major at the
  receiving institution.
         (b)  A report required by this section must indicate:
               (1)  the course name and type;
               (2)  which institution of higher education provided
  academic credit for the course; and
               (3)  the reason why the receiving institution did not
  grant academic credit for the course as described by Subsection
  (a), including whether the institution complied with the dispute
  resolution process under Section 61.826.
         SECTION 10.  Section 51.4034(a), Education Code, is amended
  to read as follows:
         (a)  Not later than May [March] 1 of each year and in the form
  prescribed by the coordinating board, each public junior college
  shall provide to the coordinating board and the legislature a
  report on courses taken by students who, during the preceding
  academic year, transferred to a general academic teaching
  institution or earned an associate degree at the college.
         SECTION 11.  Section 51.762(b-1), Education Code, is amended
  to read as follows:
         (b-1)  An electronic common admission application form
  adopted under this section must include a prominent link to the
  electronic tools or platforms developed by the board under Section
  61.09022 [comparative gainful employment data regarding
  institutions of higher education, including information described
  by Section 7.040, on a website maintained by the board using data
  compiled by the board in coordination with the Texas Workforce
  Commission].
         SECTION 12.  Section 51.763(b), Education Code, is amended
  to read as follows:
         (b)  The form must:
               (1)  allow each applicant to:
                     (A)  apply electronically to one or more of the
  general academic teaching institutions within the university
  system; and
                     (B)  indicate preferences for admission between
  those institutions; and
               (2)  include a prominent link to the electronic tools
  or platforms developed by the board under Section 61.09022
  [comparative gainful employment data regarding institutions of
  higher education, including information described by Section
  7.040, on a website maintained by the board using data compiled by
  the board in coordination with the Texas Workforce Commission].
         SECTION 13.  Section 51.907, Education Code, is amended by
  adding Subsections (c-1) and (c-2) to read as follows:
         (c-1)  An institution of higher education may not count
  toward the number of courses permitted to be dropped under
  Subsection (c) or a policy adopted under Subsection (d) a course
  that a student dropped while enrolled in a baccalaureate degree
  program previously earned by the student.
         (c-2)  An institution of higher education may not count
  toward the number of courses permitted to be dropped under
  Subsection (c) or a policy adopted under Subsection (d) a dual
  credit or dual enrollment course that a student dropped before
  graduating from high school.
         SECTION 14.  Section 54.3531(b), Education Code, is amended
  to read as follows:
         (b)  Notwithstanding Subsection (a), a student may not
  receive an exemption under this section for any course if the
  student has previously attempted a number of semester credit hours
  for courses taken at any institution of higher education while
  classified as a resident student for tuition purposes in excess of
  the maximum number of those hours specified by Section 61.0595(a)
  as eligible for funding under the formulas established under
  Section 61.059 or Chapter 130A.
         SECTION 15.  Section 56.221(2), Education Code, is amended
  to read as follows:
               (2)  "Eligible institution" means an institution of
  higher education, as that term is defined by Section 61.003[, that
  is designated as a research university or emerging research
  university under the coordinating board's accountability system].
         SECTION 16.  Section 56.407(g), Education Code, is amended
  to read as follows:
         (g)  An institution may use other available sources of
  financial aid, other than a loan [or a Pell grant], to cover any
  difference in the amount of a grant under this subchapter and the
  actual amount of tuition and required fees at the institution.
         SECTION 17.  Sections 61.003(2), (11), and (12), Education
  Code, are amended to read as follows:
               (2)  "Public junior college" means any junior college
  listed as a public junior college [certified by the board] in
  accordance with Section 61.063 [of this chapter].
               (11)  "Degree program" means any grouping of subject
  matter courses which, when satisfactorily completed by a student,
  will entitle the student [him] to:
                     (A)  a degree from a public senior college or
  university or a medical or dental unit; or
                     (B)  an academic associate degree, as defined by
  board rule, or baccalaureate degree from a public junior college.
               (12)  "Certificate program" means a grouping of
  subject-matter courses which, when satisfactorily completed by a
  student, will entitle the student [him] to:
                     (A)  a certificate;
                     (B)  an[,] associate degree, other than an
  academic associate degree, as defined by board rule, from a
  technical institute or junior college; or
                     (C)  [, or] documentary evidence, other than a
  degree, of completion of a course of study at the postsecondary
  level.
         SECTION 18.  The heading to Section 61.031, Education Code,
  is amended to read as follows:
         Sec. 61.031.  PUBLIC [INTEREST] INFORMATION AND COMPLAINTS.
         SECTION 19.  Section 61.031, Education Code, is amended by
  adding Subsection (d) to read as follows:
         (d)  Notwithstanding any other provision of law, information
  that relates to a current, former, or prospective applicant or
  student of an educational institution and that is obtained,
  received, or held by the board for the purpose of providing
  assistance with access to postsecondary education shall be
  considered confidential and excepted from disclosure under Chapter
  552, Government Code, and may only be released in conformity with
  the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (20 U.S.C.
  Section 1232g).  The board may withhold information prohibited from
  being disclosed under this subsection without requesting a decision
  from the attorney general under Subchapter G, Chapter 552,
  Government Code.
         SECTION 20.  Section 61.051, Education Code, is amended by
  adding Subsection (b) to read as follows:
         (b)  The board may participate in the establishment and
  operation of an affiliated nonprofit organization whose purpose is
  to raise money for or provide services or other benefits to the
  board.
         SECTION 21.  Section 61.0571, Education Code, is amended by
  adding Subsections (c), (d), (e), and (f) to read as follows:
         (c)  The board may provide administrative support and
  services to institutions of higher education as necessary to
  implement this chapter, Chapter 130, or Chapter 130A.
         (d)  The board may establish an institutional collaboration
  center within the board to support the implementation of Chapter
  130A and the efficient and effective operations of institutions of
  higher education.
         (e)  From money appropriated or otherwise available for the
  purpose, the board may procure goods and services for the direct
  benefit of an institution of higher education and enter into an
  interagency contract under Chapter 771, Government Code, with the
  institution to reimburse the board for the cost of the goods and
  services.
         (f)  An affiliated nonprofit organization described by
  Section 61.051(b) may accept gifts, grants, or donations from any
  public or private source to pay for goods or services procured for
  the direct benefit of an institution of higher education under
  Subsection (e).
         SECTION 22.  Section 61.059, Education Code, is amended by
  amending Subsections (b), (b-1), and (r) and adding Subsection (s)
  to read as follows:
         (b)  The board shall devise, establish, and periodically
  review and revise formulas for the use of the governor and the
  Legislative Budget Board in making appropriations recommendations
  to the legislature for [all] institutions of higher education other
  than public junior colleges funded under Chapter 130A[, including
  the funding of postsecondary vocational-technical programs]. As a
  specific element of the periodic review, the board shall study and
  recommend changes in the funding formulas based on the role and
  mission statements of those institutions of higher education. In
  carrying out its duties under this section, the board shall employ
  an ongoing process of committee review and expert testimony and
  analysis.
         (b-1)  A committee under Subsection (b) must be composed of
  representatives of a cross-section of institutions representing
  each of the institutional groupings under the board's
  accountability system, other than public junior colleges funded
  under Chapter 130A. The commissioner of higher education shall
  solicit recommendations for the committee's membership from the
  chancellor of each university system and from the president of each
  institution of higher education that is not a component of a
  university system. The chancellor of a university system may
  [shall] recommend to the commissioner at least one institutional
  representative for each institutional grouping to which a component
  of the university system is assigned. The president of an
  institution of higher education that is not a component of a
  university system may [shall] recommend to the commissioner at
  least one institutional representative for the institutional
  grouping to which the institution is assigned.
         (r)  The board shall exclude contact hours or semester credit
  hours related to a course for which a student is generating formula
  funding for the third time from the contact hours or semester credit
  hours reported for formula funding purposes.
         (s)  Notwithstanding any other law, the board may not exclude
  from the number of semester credit hours reported [to the
  Legislative Budget Board] for formula funding under this section or
  Chapter 130A semester credit hours for any course taken up to three
  times by a student who:
               (1)  has reenrolled at an institution of higher
  education following a break in enrollment from the institution or
  another institution of higher education covering the 24-month
  period preceding the first class day of the initial semester or
  other academic term of the student's reenrollment; and
               (2)  successfully completed at least 50 semester credit
  hours of course work at an institution of higher education before
  that break in enrollment.
         SECTION 23.  Sections 61.0595(a), (d), and (f), Education
  Code, are amended to read as follows:
         (a)  In the formulas established under Section 61.059 or
  Chapter 130A, the board may not include funding for semester credit
  hours earned by a resident undergraduate student who before the
  semester or other academic session begins has previously attempted
  a number of semester credit hours for courses taken at any
  institution of higher education while classified as a resident
  student for tuition purposes that exceeds the number of semester
  credit hours required for completion of the degree program or
  programs in which the student is enrolled, including minors and
  double majors, and for completion of any certificate or other
  special program in which the student is also enrolled, including a
  program with a study-abroad component, by at least:
               (1)  for an associate degree program, 15 hours; or
               (2)  for a baccalaureate degree program, 30 hours.
         (d)  The following are not counted for purposes of
  determining whether the student has previously earned the number of
  semester credit hours specified by Subsection (a):
               (1)  semester credit hours earned by the student before
  receiving a baccalaureate degree that has previously been awarded
  to the student;
               (2)  semester credit hours earned by the student by
  examination or under any other procedure by which credit is earned
  without registering for a course for which tuition is charged;
               (3)  credit for a remedial education course, a
  technical course, a workforce education course funded according to
  contact hours, or another course that does not count toward a degree
  program at the institution;
               (4)  semester credit hours earned by the student at a
  private institution or an out-of-state institution;
               (5)  semester credit hours earned by the student before
  graduating from high school and used to satisfy high school
  graduation requirements; [and]
               (6)  the first additional 15 semester credit hours
  earned toward a degree program by a student who:
                     (A)  has reenrolled at an institution of higher
  education following a break in enrollment from the institution or
  another institution of higher education covering the 24-month
  period preceding the first class day of the initial semester or
  other academic term of the student's reenrollment; and
                     (B)  successfully completed at least 50 semester
  credit hours of course work at an institution of higher education
  before that break in enrollment; and
               (7)  semester credit hours earned by the student before
  receiving an associate degree that has been previously awarded to
  the student.
         (f)  In the formulas established under Section 61.059 or
  Chapter 130A, the board shall include without consideration of
  Subsection (a) funding for semester credit hours earned by a
  student who initially enrolled as an undergraduate student in any
  institution of higher education before the 1999 fall semester.
         SECTION 24.  Section 61.063, Education Code, is amended to
  read as follows:
         Sec. 61.063.  LISTING [AND CERTIFICATION] OF PUBLIC JUNIOR
  COLLEGES; ELIGIBILITY FOR STATE APPROPRIATIONS. (a) The
  commissioner of higher education shall file with the [state]
  comptroller and the state auditor on or before September [October]
  1 of each year a list of each [the] public junior college [colleges]
  in this state that has certified to the board under Section 130.003
  that the college is in compliance with the requirements of
  Subsection (b) of that section.
         (b)  [The commissioner shall certify the names of those
  colleges that have complied with the standards, rules, and
  regulations prescribed by the board.] Only a public junior college
  included on the list under Subsection (a) is [those colleges which
  are so certified shall be] eligible for and may receive money
  appropriated [any appropriation made] by the legislature to public
  junior colleges.
         SECTION 25.  Subchapter C, Chapter 61, Education Code, is
  amended by adding Section 61.09022 to read as follows:
         Sec. 61.09022.  INFORMATION TO ASSIST STUDENTS IN ASSESSING
  VALUE OF POSTSECONDARY CREDENTIALS. (a) From money appropriated
  or otherwise available for the purpose, the board shall develop one
  or more electronic tools or platforms to provide information to
  assist prospective postsecondary students in assessing the value of
  a certificate program, associate or baccalaureate degree program,
  or other credential program offered by an institution of higher
  education or private or independent institution of higher education
  by comparing each institution with other institutions regarding:
               (1)  the relative cost of obtaining the certificate,
  degree, or other credential, based on the most recent data
  available to the board from the Texas Workforce Commission,
  institutions of higher education, the federal government, or any
  other source from which the board may obtain reliable data,
  including:
                     (A)  the cost for each of the following at the 25th
  percentile, the median, and the 75th percentile:
                           (i)  total cost of attendance;
                           (ii)  tuition and fees;
                           (iii)  room and board;
                           (iv)  books and supplies;
                           (v)  transportation; and
                           (vi)  other costs; and
                     (B)  the estimated net cost remaining after
  subtracting from the amount described by Paragraph (A) the average
  amount of scholarship and grant aid awarded to the typical student
  for the program;
               (2)  the value of the certificate, degree, or other
  credential as measured by comparing:
                     (A)  the median wage earned by students who
  graduated with the certificate, degree, or other credential from
  the institution; and
                     (B)  the median student debt of students who
  graduated with the certificate, degree, or other credential from
  the institution as compared to the median student debt of all
  students who graduated with the certificate, degree, or other
  credential, based on the most recent data available to the board
  from the Texas Workforce Commission, institutions of higher
  education, the federal government, or any other source from which
  the board may obtain reliable data;
               (3)  the average student debt-to-income ratio of
  students who graduated with the certificate, degree, or other
  credential from the institution and have student debt, including
  the estimated monthly student loan payment, computed using the
  standard 10-year repayment plan;
               (4)  progress on repaying student loans by students who
  graduated with the certificate, degree, or other credential from
  the institution; and
               (5)  educational outcomes for students seeking the
  certificate, degree, or other credential, including:
                     (A)  for a program designed to be completed in
  more than one year, the percentage of students who continue in the
  program after the first year of study;
                     (B)  the completion rate;
                     (C)  the percentage of students who withdraw or
  transfer from the institution and subsequently graduate with the
  certificate, degree, or other credential from another institution
  of higher education or private or independent institution of higher
  education;
                     (D)  the percentage of students who withdraw from
  the institution and do not enroll in the program at another
  institution of higher education or private or independent
  institution of higher education within three years of the
  withdrawal; and
                     (E)  the percentage of graduates employed in the
  top five industries in this state, as identified by the Texas
  Workforce Commission, by certificate program, degree program, or
  other credential program within one year of graduation.
         (c)  The board may solicit and accept gifts, grants, and
  donations from any public or private source to implement this
  section.
         (d)  The board shall adopt rules as necessary to implement
  this section.
         SECTION 26.  Section 7.040(c), Education Code, is
  transferred to Section 61.09022, Education Code, as added by this
  Act, redesignated as Section 61.09022(b), Education Code, and
  amended to read as follows:
         (b) [(c)]  Each institution of higher education shall
  include on its Internet website, in a prominent location that is not
  more than three hyperlinks from the website's home page, a link to
  the electronic tools or platforms developed by the board
  [information posted on the agency's Internet website] under
  Subsection (a).
         SECTION 27.  Sections 61.822(b) and (c), Education Code, are
  amended to read as follows:
         (b)  Each institution of higher education shall adopt a core
  curriculum of no less than 42 semester credit hours, including
  specific courses comprising the curriculum. The core curriculum
  shall be consistent with the common course numbering system
  approved by the board and with the statement, recommendations, and
  rules issued by the board. An institution may have a core
  curriculum of other than 42 semester credit hours only if approved
  by the board. The board by rule may approve a core curriculum of
  fewer than 42 semester credit hours for an associate degree program
  if the board determines that the approval would facilitate the
  award of a degree or transfer of credit consistent with this
  subchapter.
         (c)  If a student successfully completes the [42-hour] core
  curriculum at an institution of higher education, that block of
  courses may be transferred to any other institution of higher
  education and must be substituted for the receiving institution's
  core curriculum. A student shall receive academic credit for each
  of the courses transferred and may not be required to take
  additional core curriculum courses at the receiving institution
  unless the board has approved a larger core curriculum at the
  institution.
         SECTION 28.  Section 61.823, Education Code, is amended by
  adding Subsection (a-1) and amending Subsection (b) to read as
  follows:
         (a-1)  The board by rule may authorize a general academic
  teaching institution to adopt, for each field of study curriculum
  developed by the board for which the institution offers a degree
  program, a set of courses specific to that field of study, for a
  total of at least six semester credit hours or the equivalent, that
  must be completed as part of the field of study curriculum for that
  institution. Each general academic teaching institution that
  adopts a set of courses for a field of study curriculum under this
  subsection shall post on the institution's Internet website in a
  manner easily accessible to students the set of courses with the
  associated course numbers under the common course numbering system.
         (b)  If a student successfully completes a field of study
  curriculum developed by the board, that block of courses may be
  transferred to a general academic teaching institution and, subject
  to completion of the set of courses adopted by the institution for
  that field of study under Subsection (a-1), must be substituted for
  that institution's lower division requirements for the degree
  program for the field of study into which the student transfers, and
  the student shall receive full academic credit toward the degree
  program for the block of courses transferred.
         SECTION 29.  Sections 61.826(c), (d), and (e), Education
  Code, are amended to read as follows:
         (c)  If an institution of higher education proposes to deny
  the application toward the institution's core curriculum or a field
  of study curriculum developed by the board under Section 61.823 of
  [does not accept] course credit earned by a student at another
  institution of higher education in the other institution's core
  curriculum or in a field of study curriculum, that institution
  must:
               (1)  [shall] give written notice to the student and the
  other institution of that institution's intent to deny [that] the
  application [transfer] of the course credit to the institution's
  core curriculum or field of study curriculum and the reasons for the
  proposed denial;
               (2)  [is denied. The two institutions and the student
  shall] attempt to resolve the application [transfer] of the course
  credit to the institution's core curriculum or field of study
  curriculum with the other institution and the student in accordance
  with this section and board rules;
               (3)  resolve the dispute not later than the 45th day
  after the date on which the student enrolls in that institution; and
               (4)  if[. If] the [transfer] dispute is not resolved to
  the satisfaction of the student or the institution at which the
  credit was earned, [within 45 days after the date the student
  received written notice of the denial, the institution that denies
  the transfer of the course credit shall] notify the commissioner of
  higher education of its denial to apply the course credit to the
  institution's core curriculum or field of study curriculum and the
  reasons for the denial.
         (d)  Not later than the 20th business day after the date the
  commissioner of higher education receives notice of a dispute
  concerning the application of course credit to an institution of
  higher education's core curriculum or field of study curriculum
  under Subsection (c)(4), the [The] commissioner [of higher
  education] or the commissioner's designee shall make the final
  determination about the [a] dispute [concerning the transfer of
  course credit] and give written notice of the determination to the
  involved student and institutions. If the commissioner or the
  commissioner's designee determines that the institution may not
  deny the application of course credit described by Subsection (c)
  to the institution's core curriculum or field of study curriculum,
  the institution shall apply that course credit toward the
  institution's core curriculum or field of study curriculum, as
  applicable. A determination by the commissioner or the
  commissioner's designee under this subsection is final and may not
  be appealed.
         (e)  The board shall:
               (1)  collect data on the types of transfer disputes
  that are reported and the disposition of each case that is
  considered by the commissioner of higher education or the
  commissioner's designee; and
               (2)  post on the board's Internet website a list of each
  case that is considered by the commissioner of higher education or
  the commissioner's designee under this section, including the
  disposition of the case.
         SECTION 30.  Section 61.827(b), Education Code, is amended
  to read as follows:
         (b)  In adopting rules regarding the recommended core
  curriculum developed under Section 61.822, the board shall appoint
  a committee to advise the board [use the negotiated rulemaking
  procedures] under Section 2001.031 [Chapter 2008], Government
  Code.
         SECTION 31.  Subchapter S, Chapter 61, Education Code, is
  amended by adding Section 61.834 to read as follows:
         Sec. 61.834.  TEXAS DIRECT ASSOCIATE DEGREE. A public
  junior college, public state college, or public technical institute
  shall award a student a "Texas Direct" associate degree and include
  an appropriate notation on the student's transcript if the student
  completes a field of study curriculum developed by the board under
  Section 61.823 and:
               (1)  the college's core curriculum; or
               (2)  an abbreviated core curriculum related to a
  specific approved field of study curriculum transferable to one or
  more general academic teaching institutions.
         SECTION 32.  Section 61.882(d), Education Code, is amended
  to read as follows:
         (d)  In awarding grants under this subchapter, the board:
               (1)  shall, to the greatest extent practicable:
                     (A)  award grants to at least one eligible entity
  in each region of the state; and
                     (B)  ensure that each training program:
                           (i)  matches regional workforce needs;
                           (ii)  is supported by a labor market
  analysis of job postings and employers hiring roles with the skills
  developed by the program; and
                           (iii)  does not duplicate existing program
  offerings except as necessary to accommodate regional demand; and
               (2)  may give preference to applicants that:
                     (A)  represent a consortium of lower-division
  institutions of higher education;
                     (B)  prioritize training to displaced workers;
                     (C)  offer affordable training programs to
  students; or
                     (D)  partner with employers, local chambers of
  commerce, trade associations, economic development corporations,
  and local workforce boards to analyze job postings and identify
  employers hiring roles with the skills developed by the training
  programs.
         SECTION 33.  Section 130.001(b), Education Code, is amended
  to read as follows:
         (b)  The coordinating board shall have the responsibility
  for adopting policies, enacting regulations, and establishing
  general rules necessary for carrying out the duties with respect to
  public junior colleges as prescribed by the legislature, and with
  the advice and assistance of the commissioner of higher education,
  shall have authority to:
               (1)  authorize the creation of public junior college
  districts as provided in the statutes, giving particular attention
  to the need for a public junior college in the proposed district and
  the ability of the district to provide adequate local financial
  support;
               (2)  dissolve any public junior college district which
  has failed to establish and maintain a junior college within three
  years from the date of its authorization;
               (3)  adopt standards for the operation of public junior
  colleges and prescribe the rules and regulations for such colleges;
               (4)  require of each public junior college such reports
  as deemed necessary in accordance with the coordinating board's
  rules and regulations; and
               (5)  establish a standing advisory committee
  [commissions] composed of representatives of public junior
  colleges [and other citizens of the state] to provide advice and
  counsel to the coordinating board with respect to the funding of
  public junior colleges necessary to carry out this chapter and
  Chapter 130A.
         SECTION 34.  Sections 130.003(a), (b), (e), and (f),
  Education Code, are amended to read as follows:
         (a)  There shall be appropriated biennially from money in the
  state treasury not otherwise appropriated an amount sufficient to
  supplement local funds for the proper support, maintenance,
  operation, and improvement of those public junior colleges of Texas
  that meet the standards prescribed by this chapter.  The sum shall
  be allocated in accordance with Chapter 130A [on the basis of
  contact hours within categories developed, reviewed, and updated by
  the coordinating board].
         (b)  To be eligible for and to receive money appropriated
  under Subsection (a) [a proportionate share of the appropriation],
  a public junior college must certify to the coordinating board, in
  the manner prescribed by coordinating board rule, that the college:
               (1)  offers [be certified as a public junior college as
  prescribed in Section 61.063;
               [(2)  offer] a minimum of 24 semester hours of
  vocational and/or terminal courses;
               (2)  collects [(3)  have complied with all existing
  laws, rules, and regulations governing the establishment and
  maintenance of public junior colleges;
               [(4)  collect], from each full-time and part-time
  student enrolled, tuition [matriculation] and other [session] fees
  in the amounts required by law or in the amounts set by the
  governing board of the junior college district as authorized by
  this title;
               (3)  grants [(5)  grant], when properly applied for,
  the scholarships and tuition exemptions provided for in this code;
               (4)  [and
               [(6)]  for a public junior college established on or
  after September 1, 1986, levies and collects [levy and collect] ad
  valorem taxes as provided by law for the operation and maintenance
  of the [public junior] college; and
               (5)  has complied with all laws and coordinating board
  rules for the establishment and operation of a public junior
  college.
         (e)  The primary purpose of each public junior [community]
  college shall be to provide:
               (1)  technical programs up to two years in length
  leading to associate degrees or certificates;
               (2)  vocational programs leading directly to
  employment in semi-skilled and skilled occupations;
               (3)  [freshman and sophomore] courses in the core
  curriculum or a field of study curriculum, as those terms are
  defined by Section 61.821 [arts and sciences];
               (4)  continuing adult education programs for
  occupational or cultural upgrading;
               (5)  compensatory education programs designed to
  fulfill the commitment of an admissions policy allowing the
  enrollment of disadvantaged students;
               (6)  a continuing program of counseling and guidance
  designed to assist students in achieving their individual
  educational goals; 
               (7)  work force development programs designed to meet
  local and statewide needs;
               (8)  adult literacy and other basic skills programs for
  adults; and
               (9)  such other purposes as may be prescribed by the
  coordinating board [Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board] or
  local governing boards in the best interest of post-secondary
  education in this state [Texas].
         (f)  This section does not affect the application of [alter,
  amend, or repeal] Section 54.231 [54.060 of this code].
         SECTION 35.  Section 130.0031, Education Code, is amended to
  read as follows:
         Sec. 130.0031.  TRANSFERS: WHEN MADE. (a) In consultation
  with the advisory committee established under Section
  130.001(b)(5), the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board by
  rule shall adopt a payment schedule by which money appropriated to
  junior college districts under this chapter and Chapter 130A is
  distributed to those districts [In this section:
               [(1)  "Category 1 junior college" means a junior
  college having not more than 2,500 students in fall head count
  enrollment for the previous fiscal year and not more than $300,000
  of local taxes collected, excluding taxes for debt service, in the
  previous fiscal year.
               [(2)  "Category 2 junior college" means a junior
  college having more than 2,500 students in fall head count
  enrollment for the previous fiscal year or more than $300,000 of
  local taxes collected, excluding taxes for debt service, in the
  previous fiscal year].
         (b)  The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board may
  modify the [Money appropriated for payment to junior colleges under
  the authority of Section 130.003 of this code shall be paid to each
  eligible category 1 junior college out of the public junior college
  reimbursement fund as follows:
               [(1)  24 percent of the yearly entitlement of the
  junior college shall be paid in two equal installments to be made on
  or before the 25th day of September and October; and
               [(2)  76 percent of the yearly entitlement of the
  junior college shall be paid in eight equal installments to be made
  on or before the 25th day of November, December, January, February,
  March, April, May, and June.
         [(c)  Money appropriated for payment to junior colleges
  under the authority of Section 130.003 of this code shall be paid to
  each eligible category 2 junior college out of the public junior
  college reimbursement fund as follows:
               [(1)  24 percent of the yearly entitlement of the
  junior college shall be paid in two equal installments to be made on
  or before the 25th day of September and October; and
               [(2)  76 percent of the yearly entitlement of the
  junior college shall be paid in eight equal installments to be made
  on or before the 25th day of November, December, March, April, May,
  June, July, and August.
         [(d)  The] amount of any installment required under the
  payment schedule adopted under Subsection (a) [by this section may
  be modified] to, in accordance with this chapter, Chapter 130A, the
  General Appropriations Act, or coordinating board rule:
               (1)  provide the junior college district with the
  proper amount to which the junior college district may be entitled
  by law; and
               (2)  [to] correct errors in the allocation or
  distribution of funds.
         (c)  If the amount of an installment under the payment
  schedule adopted under Subsection (a) [this section] is required to
  be equal to the amount of another installment [other installments],
  the amount of the other installment [installments] may be adjusted
  to provide for that equality. A payment under this section is not
  invalid because it is not equal to other installments.
         SECTION 36.  Section 130.0033(c), Education Code, is amended
  to read as follows:
         (c)  Charging tuition at a reduced rate under this section
  does not affect the right of the public junior college to an
  allocation [a proportionate share] of state appropriations under
  this chapter and Chapter 130A [Section 130.003] for the contact
  hours attributable to students paying tuition at the reduced rate.
         SECTION 37.  Section 130.0034(a), Education Code, is amended
  to read as follows:
         (a)  The governing board of a [public] junior college
  district may charge a student a higher rate of tuition than the
  tuition that would otherwise be charged for a course in which the
  student enrolls if:
               (1)  the student has previously enrolled in the same
  course or a course of substantially the same content and level two
  or more times; and
               (2)  the student's enrollment in the course is not
  included in the contact hours used to determine the junior
  college's allocation [proportionate share] of state appropriations
  under this chapter and Chapter 130A [Section 130.003].
         SECTION 38.  Section 130.0051(a), Education Code, is amended
  to read as follows:
         (a)  The board of trustees of a junior college district by
  resolution may change the name of the district or a college within
  the district [by eliminating the words "community" or "junior" from
  the name of the district or college], unless the change would cause
  the district or college to have the same or substantially the same
  name as an existing district, college, or other public or private
  institution of higher education in this state.
         SECTION 39.  Section 130.008(c), Education Code, is amended
  to read as follows:
         (c)  The contact hours attributable to the enrollment of a
  high school student in a course offered for joint high school and
  junior college credit under this section, excluding a course for
  which the student attending high school may receive course credit
  toward the physical education curriculum requirement under Section
  28.002(a)(2)(C), shall be included in the contact hours used to
  determine the junior college's allocation [proportionate share] of
  the state money appropriated and distributed to public junior
  colleges under this chapter and Chapter 130A [Sections 130.003 and
  130.0031], even if the junior college waives all or part of the
  tuition or fees for the student under Subsection (b).
         SECTION 40.  Section 130.085(b), Education Code, is amended
  to read as follows:
         (b)  This action by the board of trustees does not affect
  their authority under Section 130.123 [of this code], nor does this
  section in any way supersede that section. This action of the board
  does not affect the right of the college to an allocation [a
  proportionate share] of state appropriations under this chapter and
  Chapter 130A [Section 130.003 of this code].
         SECTION 41.  Section 130.090(c), Education Code, is amended
  to read as follows:
         (c)  The grant of an exemption from tuition under Subsection
  (b) does not affect the right of a junior college to an allocation
  [a proportionate share] of state appropriations under this chapter
  and Chapter 130A [Section 130.003] attributable to the contact
  hours of the junior college with the student receiving the
  exemption.
         SECTION 42.  Section 130.310(a), Education Code, is amended
  to read as follows:
         (a)  A [Except as provided by Subsection (b), a] degree
  program created under this subchapter shall [may] be funded solely
  by a public junior college's allocation [proportionate share] of
  state appropriations under this chapter and Chapter 130A [Section
  130.003], local funds, and private sources. [This subsection does
  not require the legislature to appropriate state funds to support a
  degree program created under this subchapter.] The coordinating
  board shall weigh contact hours attributable to students enrolled
  in a junior-level or senior-level course offered under this
  subchapter used to determine a public junior college's allocation
  [proportionate share] of state appropriations under this chapter
  and Chapter 130A [Section 130.003] in the same manner as a lower
  division course in a corresponding field.
         SECTION 43.  Section 130.352, Education Code, is amended to
  read as follows:
         Sec. 130.352.  FORMULA FUNDING FOR WORKFORCE CONTINUING
  EDUCATION COURSES. Notwithstanding Section 130.003 or any other
  law, contact hours attributable to the enrollment of a student in a
  workforce continuing education course offered by a public junior
  college shall be included in the contact hours used to determine the
  college's allocation [proportionate share] of state money
  appropriated and distributed to public junior colleges under this
  chapter and Chapter 130A [Sections 130.003 and 130.0031],
  regardless of whether the college waives all or part of the tuition
  or fees for the course under Section 130.354.
         SECTION 44.  Section 130.355, Education Code, is amended to
  read as follows:
         Sec. 130.355.  RULES. The coordinating board shall adopt
  any rules the coordinating board considers necessary for the
  administration of this subchapter.  [In adopting those rules, the
  coordinating board shall use the negotiated rulemaking procedures
  under Chapter 2008, Government Code.]
         SECTION 45.  Chapter 130, Education Code, is amended by
  adding Subchapter O to read as follows:
  SUBCHAPTER O. OPPORTUNITY HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA PROGRAM
         Sec. 130.451.  DEFINITIONS. In this subchapter:
               (1)  "Coordinating board" means the Texas Higher
  Education Coordinating Board.
               (2)  "General academic teaching institution" has the
  meaning assigned by Section 61.003.
               (3)  "Program," unless the context indicates
  otherwise, means the Opportunity High School Diploma program
  established under this subchapter.
         Sec. 130.452.  PURPOSE. The purpose of the program is to
  provide an alternative means by which adult students enrolled in a
  workforce education program at a public junior college may earn a
  high school diploma at the college through concurrent enrollment in
  a competency-based education program that enables students to
  demonstrate knowledge substantially equivalent to the knowledge
  required to earn a high school diploma in this state.
         Sec. 130.453.  ADMINISTRATION. The coordinating board shall
  administer the program in consultation with the Texas Education
  Agency and the Texas Workforce Commission.
         Sec. 130.454.  APPROVAL OF ALTERNATIVE HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA
  PROGRAM. (a)  A public junior college may submit to the
  coordinating board an application to participate in the program.
  The application must propose an alternative competency-based high
  school diploma program to be offered for concurrent enrollment to
  adult students without a high school diploma who are enrolled in a
  workforce education program at the college. The proposed program
  may include any combination of instruction, curriculum,
  achievement, internships, or other means by which a student may
  attain knowledge sufficient to adequately prepare the student for
  postsecondary education or additional workforce education.
         (b)  A public junior college may submit an application under
  Subsection (a) together with one or more public junior colleges,
  general academic teaching institutions, public school districts,
  or nonprofit organizations with whom the proposed program described
  by that subsection will be offered as provided by Subsection (e).
         (c)  The coordinating board may approve not more than five
  public junior colleges to participate in the program.
         (d)  Subject to Subsection (c), the coordinating board shall
  review and approve a public junior college's application to
  participate in the program if the board determines that the
  college's proposed program described by Subsection (a) will provide
  instruction and assessments appropriate to ensure that a student
  who successfully completes the proposed program demonstrates
  levels of knowledge sufficient to adequately prepare the student
  for postsecondary education or additional workforce education.  The
  coordinating board may coordinate with the Texas Education Agency
  as necessary to make a determination under this subsection.
         (e)  A public junior college approved to participate in the
  program may:
               (1)  enter into an agreement with one or more public
  junior colleges, general academic teaching institutions, public
  school districts, or nonprofit organizations to offer the program
  described by Subsection (a); and
               (2)  offer the program described by Subsection (a) at
  any campus of the college or an entity with which the college has
  entered into an agreement under Subdivision (1).
         Sec. 130.455.  AWARD OF HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA. (a)  A public
  junior college participating in the program may award a high school
  diploma to a student enrolled in the alternative competency-based
  high school diploma program offered by the college under the
  program if the student performs satisfactorily on assessment
  instruments prescribed by coordinating board rule.
         (b)  A high school diploma awarded under the program is
  equivalent to a high school diploma awarded under Section 28.025.
         Sec. 130.456.  FUNDING. (a)  The coordinating board and the
  Texas Workforce Commission shall coordinate to jointly identify
  funding mechanisms, including grants, interagency contracts,
  financial aid, or subsidies, available to public junior colleges
  and students to encourage and facilitate participation in the
  program.
         (b)  A public junior college participating in the program is
  entitled to receive funding under Section 130.003 for the program
  in the manner provided by coordinating board rule.
         Sec. 130.457.  REPORT. Not later than December 1, 2026, the
  coordinating board shall submit to the legislature a progress
  report on the effectiveness of the program and any recommendations
  for legislative or other action.  This section expires September 1,
  2027.
         Sec. 130.458.  RULES. The coordinating board may adopt
  rules as necessary to implement this subchapter.
         SECTION 46.  Subtitle G, Title 3, Education Code, is amended
  by adding Chapter 130A to read as follows:
  CHAPTER 130A.  PUBLIC JUNIOR COLLEGE STATE FINANCE PROGRAM
  SUBCHAPTER A.  GENERAL PROVISIONS
         Sec. 130A.001.  LEGISLATIVE INTENT. It is the intent of the
  legislature that, as public junior colleges are locally governed
  institutions, providing foundational funding for instruction and
  operations of public junior colleges should be primarily a local
  responsibility, supported through a combination of tuition, fees,
  and local property taxes, with state funding focused primarily on
  rewarding outcomes aligned with regional and state education and
  workforce needs.
         Sec. 130A.002.  PURPOSE. The purpose of the public junior
  college state finance program established under this chapter is to
  provide a modern and dynamic finance system that ensures that each
  public junior college has access to adequate state appropriations
  and local resources to support the education and training of the
  workforce of the future.
         Sec. 130A.003.  DEFINITIONS. In this chapter:
               (1)  "Commissioner" means the commissioner of higher
  education.
               (2)  "Coordinating board" means the Texas Higher
  Education Coordinating Board.
               (3)  "Program" means the public junior college state
  finance program established under this chapter.
               (4)  "Public junior college" has the meaning assigned
  by Section 61.003.
         Sec. 130A.004.  PROGRAM COMPONENTS. The program consists
  of:
               (1)  a base tier of state and local funding determined
  in accordance with Subchapter B that ensures each public junior
  college has access to a defined level of base funding for
  instruction and operations; and
               (2)  a performance tier of state funding determined in
  accordance with Subchapter C that constitutes the majority of state
  funding and is distributed based on measurable outcomes aligned
  with:
                     (A)  regional and state workforce needs; and
                     (B)  state goals aligned to the state's long-range
  master plan for higher education developed under Section 61.051.
         Sec. 130A.005.  ADMINISTRATION OF PROGRAM. (a)  The
  coordinating board may adopt rules, require reporting, and take
  other actions consistent with Chapter 61, Chapter 130, and this
  chapter as necessary to implement and administer the program.
         (b)  In adopting rules under this section, the coordinating
  board shall consult with the advisory committee established under
  Section 130.001(b)(5).
         (c)  Notwithstanding Section 61.033, the coordinating board
  is not required to use negotiated rulemaking procedures under
  Chapter 2008, Government Code, for the adoption of rules under this
  section.
         Sec. 130A.006.  REQUIRED REPORTING. The coordinating board
  by rule shall require each junior college district to report to the
  coordinating board through the Education Data System, Community
  College Annual Reporting and Analysis Tool, Report of Fundable
  Operating Expenses, or any successor program, data necessary to:
               (1)  calculate funding under this chapter;
               (2)  provide timely data and analyses to inform
  management decisions by the governing body of each junior college
  district;
               (3)  administer or evaluate the effectiveness of the
  program; or
               (4)  audit the program.
         Sec. 130A.007.  COMMISSIONER AUTHORITY TO RESOLVE DATA
  REPORTING ERRORS AND UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES FROM FUNDING
  FORMULAS. (a)  The commissioner may review the accuracy of data
  reported to the coordinating board by junior college districts.
         (b)  The commissioner may adjust:
               (1)  the distribution of funding under this chapter for
  a state fiscal year as necessary to correct errors in data reporting
  identified through the commissioner's review under Subsection (a);
  and
               (2)  a junior college district's funding under this
  chapter if the funding formulas used to determine the district's
  entitlement would result in an unanticipated loss or gain for the
  district that would have a substantial negative impact on the
  district's operations.
         (c)  Before making an adjustment under this section, the
  commissioner must request and receive written approval from the
  Legislative Budget Board and the office of the governor.  A request
  to make an adjustment is considered approved unless the Legislative
  Budget Board or the office of the governor issues a written
  disapproval within 60 business days after the date on which the
  request is received.
         (d)  If the commissioner makes an adjustment under
  Subsection (b), the commissioner shall provide to the legislature
  an explanation regarding the changes necessary to resolve the data
  reporting errors or the unintended consequences, as applicable.
         Sec. 130A.008.  CENSUS DATE ELIGIBILITY. A junior college
  district may report a student in attendance on the district's
  approved course census date for the purpose of funding under this
  chapter.
         Sec. 130A.009.  RECOVERY OF OVERALLOCATED FUNDS.  (a)  If a
  junior college district has received an overallocation of state
  funds, the coordinating board shall recover from the district an
  amount equal to the overallocation by withholding from subsequent
  allocations of state funds for the current or subsequent academic
  year or by requesting and obtaining a refund from the district.
         (b)  Notwithstanding Subsection (a), the coordinating board
  may recover an overallocation of state funds over a period not to
  exceed the subsequent five academic years if the commissioner
  determines that the overallocation was the result of exceptional
  circumstances reasonably caused by statutory changes to Chapter 130
  or this chapter and related reporting requirements.
         (c)  If a junior college district fails to comply with a
  request for a refund under Subsection (a), the coordinating board
  shall report to the comptroller that the amount constitutes a debt
  for purposes of Section 403.055, Government Code.  The coordinating
  board shall provide to the comptroller the amount of the
  overallocation and any other information required by the
  comptroller.  The comptroller may certify the amount of the debt to
  the attorney general for collection.  The junior college district's
  governmental immunity is waived to the extent necessary to collect
  the debt owed under this section.
         (d)  Subject to Subsection (e), the coordinating board may
  review a junior college district as necessary to determine if the
  district qualifies for each amount received by the district under
  this chapter.  If the coordinating board determines that a junior
  college district received an amount to which the district was not
  entitled, the coordinating board may establish a corrective action
  plan or withhold the applicable amount of funding from the
  district.
         (e)  The coordinating board may not review junior college
  district expenditures that occurred seven or more years before the
  review.
         Sec. 130A.010.  GIFTS, GRANTS, AND DONATIONS.  Except as
  provided by other law, an affiliated nonprofit organization
  described by Section 61.051(b) may solicit and accept gifts,
  grants, or donations of personal property from any public or
  private source to implement or administer this chapter.
  SUBCHAPTER B.  STATE FUNDING:  BASE TIER
         Sec. 130A.051.  BASE TIER FORMULA. The amount of base tier
  state funding to which a junior college district is entitled for
  instruction and operations under this subchapter for a state fiscal
  year is an amount equal to the amount, if any, by which the
  district's guaranteed instruction and operations funding, as
  determined under Section 130A.052, exceeds the district's local
  share of base tier funding, as determined under Section 130A.056.
         Sec. 130A.052.  GUARANTEED INSTRUCTION AND OPERATIONS
  FUNDING FORMULA. The amount of a junior college district's
  guaranteed instruction and operations funding for a state fiscal
  year is equal to the sum of:
               (1)  the product of:
                     (A)  the district's basic allotment under Section
  130A.053; and
                     (B)  the number of weighted full-time equivalent
  students enrolled at the district determined in accordance with
  Section 130A.054; and
               (2)  the district's contact hour funding under Section
  130A.055.
         Sec. 130A.053.  BASIC ALLOTMENT.  The basic allotment for a
  junior college district for a state fiscal year is an amount per
  weighted full-time equivalent student set by the General
  Appropriations Act or other legislative appropriation.
         Sec. 130A.054.  WEIGHTED FULL-TIME EQUIVALENT STUDENT;
  SCALE ADJUSTMENT.  (a)  The coordinating board by rule shall
  establish student weights for purposes of this chapter that reflect
  the higher cost of educating certain students.
         (b)  The student weights must be established in a manner that
  results in appropriate funding to a junior college district for the
  education of a student enrolled in an eligible credit or non-credit
  program who is:
               (1)  25 years of age or older;
               (2)  economically disadvantaged, as defined by
  coordinating board rule; or
               (3)  academically disadvantaged, as defined by
  coordinating board rule.
         (c)  Subject to Subsection (d), the number of weighted
  full-time equivalent students enrolled at a junior college district
  for purposes of this subchapter is equal to the sum of:
               (1)  the number of full-time equivalent students
  enrolled in the district; and
               (2)  the sum of the weights assigned to students
  enrolled in the district.
         (d)  The coordinating board by rule shall establish an
  equitable adjustment to the number of weighted full-time equivalent
  students determined under this section for each junior college
  district with a total enrollment of fewer than 5,000 full-time
  equivalent students.
         (e)  Not later than November 1 of each even-numbered year, a
  junior college district that receives an adjustment under
  Subsection (d) shall submit to the commissioner a report on the
  district's participation in institutional partnerships and shared
  services available under Section 61.0571 or other partnerships to
  reduce costs and improve operational efficiency.
         Sec. 130A.055.  CONTACT HOUR FUNDING. (a)  The legislature
  shall set by appropriation the amount of funding to be provided to a
  junior college district under this subchapter per contact hour.
         (b)  The amount of funding per contact hour must be weighted
  by discipline to reflect the cost of providing the applicable
  course.
         (c)  The coordinating board shall determine the total amount
  of contact hour funding to which each junior college district is
  entitled under this section.
         Sec. 130A.056.  LOCAL SHARE.  A junior college district's
  local share of base tier funding is an amount equal to the sum of the
  amounts of revenue estimated to be generated by:
               (1)  imposing a maintenance and operations ad valorem
  tax in the district at a rate of $0.05; and
               (2)  assessing an amount of tuition and fees to each
  full-time equivalent student enrolled in the district equal to the
  statewide average amount of tuition and fees assessed by junior
  college districts to a full-time equivalent student, determined as
  provided by coordinating board rule.
  SUBCHAPTER C.  STATE FUNDING:  PERFORMANCE TIER
         Sec. 130A.101.  PERFORMANCE TIER. (a)  A junior college
  district is entitled to performance tier funding for a state fiscal
  biennium in an amount equal to the sum of the amounts determined
  under Subsection (b) for each measurable outcome described by
  Subsection (c).
         (b)  The amount of performance tier funding for each
  measurable outcome described by Subsection (c) is equal to the
  product of:
               (1)  the sum of:
                     (A)  the number of times that outcome was achieved
  by the junior college district, determined as provided by
  coordinating board rule; and
                     (B)  for an outcome described by Subsection (c)(1)
  or (2), the sum of the applicable student weights established by
  coordinating board rule for the students who achieved the outcome
  at the junior college district as determined under Paragraph (A) of
  this subdivision; and
               (2)  the amount set by the General Appropriations Act
  or other legislative appropriation for the outcome.
         (c)  The measurable outcomes considered for purposes of
  performance tier funding are:
               (1)  the number of credentials of value awarded, as
  determined by the coordinating board based on analyses of wages and
  costs associated with the credential, including degrees,
  certificates, and other credentials from credit and non-credit
  programs that equip students for continued learning and greater
  earnings in the state economy, with an additional weight for
  placement of students who earn that credential in a high-demand
  occupation, as defined by coordinating board rule, or an
  appropriate proxy determined by the coordinating board based on
  available data;
               (2)  the number of students who earn at least 15
  semester credit hours or the equivalent at the junior college
  district and:
                     (A)  subsequently transfer to a general academic
  teaching institution, as that term is defined by Section 61.003; or
                     (B)  are enrolled in a structured co-enrollment
  program, as authorized by coordinating board rule; and
               (3)  the number of students who complete a sequence of
  at least 15 semester credit hours or the equivalent for dual credit
  or dual enrollment courses, as defined by coordinating board rule,
  that apply toward academic or workforce program requirements at the
  postsecondary level.
         SECTION 47.  Section 136.001, Education Code, is amended by
  amending Subdivision (1) and adding Subdivision (1-a) to read as
  follows:
               (1)  "Coordinating board" means the Texas Higher
  Education Coordinating Board.
               (1-a)  "Nonprofit organization" means an organization
  exempt from federal income taxation under Section 501(a), Internal
  Revenue Code of 1986, as an organization described by Section
  501(c)(3) of that code.
         SECTION 48.  Section 136.005(a), Education Code, is amended
  to read as follows:
         (a)  The coordinating board [grant administrator] shall
  establish and administer the Texas Innovative Adult Career
  Education (ACE) Grant Program to provide grants to:
               (1)  eligible nonprofit workforce intermediary and job
  training organizations; and
               (2)  eligible nonprofit organizations providing job
  training to veterans.
         SECTION 49.  Section 136.006, Education Code, is amended to
  read as follows:
         Sec. 136.006.  ELIGIBLE ORGANIZATIONS.  (a)  To be eligible
  for a grant under the program, a nonprofit workforce intermediary
  and job training organization must:
               (1)  apply to the coordinating board [grant
  administrator] in the manner prescribed by the coordinating board
  [grant administrator];
               (2)  provide to eligible low-income students, in
  partnership with public junior colleges, public state colleges, or
  public technical institutes:
                     (A)  job training; and
                     (B)  a continuum of services designed to move a
  program participant from application to employment, including
  outreach, assessment, case management, support services, and
  career placement;
               (3)  be governed by a board or other governing
  structure that includes recognized leaders of broad-based
  community organizations and executive-level or managerial-level
  members of the local business community;
               (4)  demonstrate to the satisfaction of the
  coordinating board [program advisory board] that the
  organization's program has achieved or will achieve the following
  measures of success among program participants:
                     (A)  above-average completion of developmental
  education among participating public junior college, public state
  college, or public technical institute students;
                     (B)  above-average persistence rates among
  participating public junior college, public state college, or
  public technical institute students;
                     (C)  above-average certificate or degree
  completion rates by participating students within a three-year
  period compared to demographically comparable public junior
  college, public state college, and public technical institute
  students; and
                     (D)  entry into careers with significantly higher
  earnings for program participants than previously achieved; and
               (5)  provide matching funds in accordance with rules
  adopted under this chapter.
         (a-1)  To be eligible for a grant under the program, a
  nonprofit organization providing job training services to veterans
  must:
               (1)  apply to the coordinating board [grant
  administrator] in the manner prescribed by the coordinating board
  [grant administrator];
               (2)  provide to veterans, in partnership with public
  junior colleges, public state colleges, or public technical
  institutes:
                     (A)  job training; and
                     (B)  a continuum of services designed to move a
  program participant from application to employment, including
  outreach, assessment, case management, support services, and
  career placement;
               (3)  be governed by a board or other governing
  structure that includes recognized leaders of broad-based
  community organizations and executive-level or managerial-level
  members of the local business community;
               (4)  demonstrate to the satisfaction of the
  coordinating board [program advisory board] that the
  organization's program has achieved or will achieve the following
  measures of success among program participants:
                     (A)  the measures prescribed by Subsections
  (a)(4)(A)-(C);
                     (B)  rapid attainment of civilian workforce
  credentials; and
                     (C)  entry into careers with significantly higher
  earnings for program participants than previously achieved; and
               (5)  provide matching funds in accordance with rules
  adopted under this chapter.
         (b)  The matching funds required under Subsection (a)(5) or
  (a-1)(5) may be obtained from any source available to the
  organization, including in-kind contributions, community or
  foundation grants, individual contributions, and local
  governmental agency operating funds.  The coordinating board [grant
  administrator] may adopt rules requiring an organization to
  demonstrate compliance with the matching funds requirement before
  the payment of the next installment under an awarded grant.
         SECTION 50.  Section 136.007, Education Code, is amended to
  read as follows:
         Sec. 136.007.  RULES.  [(a)] The coordinating board [grant
  administrator] shall adopt rules as necessary for the
  administration of this chapter, including [in the manner provided
  by Chapter 2001, Government Code, for a state agency.
         [(b)  The grant administrator, with recommendations of the
  program advisory board, shall adopt] rules regarding eligibility,
  program tuition and fees, administrative costs, matching funds, and
  case management and other supports for the program.  The rules may
  include provisions for the payment in periodic installments of
  grant awards.
         SECTION 51.  Section 2308A.007, Government Code, is amended
  by adding Subsection (a-1) to read as follows:
         (a-1)  A credential library established under this section
  must include the information included in the electronic tools or
  platforms developed by the coordinating board under Section
  61.09022(a), Education Code.
         SECTION 52.  Sections 61.0593, 61.884(d), 130.003(d),
  130.310(b), 136.002, 136.004, and 136.005(a-1), Education Code,
  are repealed.
         SECTION 53.  Sections 28.009(b-2), 28.010(a), and
  29.908(b), Education Code, as amended by this Act, and Section
  28.0095, Education Code, as added by this Act, apply beginning with
  the 2023-2024 school year.
         SECTION 54.  Sections 51.4033, 51.4034(a), 61.822(b) and
  (c), 61.823, 61.826(c), (d), and (e), and 61.827(b), Education
  Code, as amended by this Act, and Section 61.834, Education Code, as
  added by this Act, apply beginning with the 2023-2024 academic
  year.
         SECTION 55.  The change in law made by this Act to Section
  56.407(g), Education Code, applies beginning with Texas
  Educational Opportunity Grants awarded for the 2024 fall semester.  
  Grants awarded for a semester or term before the 2024 fall semester
  are governed by the applicable law in effect immediately before the
  effective date of this Act, and the former law is continued in
  effect for that purpose.
         SECTION 56.  The Texas Education Agency and the Texas Higher
  Education Coordinating Board may identify rules required by the
  passage of this Act that must be adopted on an emergency basis for
  purposes of the state fiscal year beginning September 1, 2023, and
  may use the procedures established under Section 2001.034,
  Government Code, for adopting those rules.  The agency and the
  coordinating board are not required to make the finding described
  by Section 2001.034(a), Government Code, to adopt emergency rules
  under this section.
         SECTION 57.  (a)  Except as provided by Subsection (b) of
  this section, this Act takes effect September 1, 2023, and applies
  to the allocation of state funding to junior college districts
  beginning with the state fiscal biennium beginning September 1,
  2023.
         (b)  Sections 7.040(a), 28.009(b-2), 28.010(a), 29.908(b),
  51.4033, 51.4034(a), 51.762(b-1), 51.763(b), 61.031, 61.823, and
  61.826(c), (d), and (e), Education Code, as amended by this Act, and
  Sections 28.0095, 61.09022, and 61.834 and Subchapter O, Chapter
  130, Education Code, and Section 2308A.007(a-1), Government Code,
  as added by this Act, take effect immediately if this Act 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, those
  provisions take effect September 1, 2023.
 
 
  ______________________________ ______________________________
     President of the Senate Speaker of the House     
 
 
         I certify that H.B. No. 8 was passed by the House on April 12,
  2023, by the following vote:  Yeas 146, Nays 1, 2 present, not
  voting; and that the House concurred in Senate amendments to H.B.
  No. 8 on May 24, 2023, by the following vote:  Yeas 142, Nays 0, 1
  present, not voting.
 
  ______________________________
  Chief Clerk of the House   
 
         I certify that H.B. No. 8 was passed by the Senate, with
  amendments, on May 19, 2023, by the following vote:  Yeas 31, Nays
  0.
 
  ______________________________
  Secretary of the Senate   
  APPROVED: __________________
                  Date       
   
           __________________
                Governor