By: Sparks S.B. No. 1987
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
  relating to the accreditation of certain postsecondary educational
  institutions in this state or of certain programs offered by those
  institutions.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Sections 61.003(13) and (15), Education Code,
  are amended to read as follows:
               (13)  "Recognized accrediting agency" means [the
  Southern Association of Colleges and Schools and] any [other]
  association or organization so designated by the board.
               (15)  "Private or independent institution of higher
  education" includes only a private or independent college or
  university that is:
                     (A)  organized under the Texas Non-Profit
  Corporation Act (Article 1396-1.01 et seq., Vernon's Texas Civil
  Statutes);
                     (B)  exempt from taxation under Article VIII,
  Section 2, of the Texas Constitution and Section 501(c)(3) of the
  Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (26 U.S.C. Section 501); and
                     (C)  accredited by:
                           (i)  any accreditor recognized by the United
  States Department of Education [Commission on Colleges of the
  Southern Association of Colleges and Schools];
                           (ii)  the Liaison Committee on Medical
  Education; or
                           (iii)  the American Bar Association.
         SECTION 2.  Section 61.0515(a), Education Code, is amended
  to read as follows:
         (a)  To earn a baccalaureate degree, a student may not be
  required by a general academic teaching institution to complete
  more than the minimum number of semester credit hours required for
  the degree by the institution's recognized accrediting agency
  [Southern Association of Colleges and Schools or its successor]
  unless the institution determines that there is a compelling
  academic reason for requiring completion of additional semester
  credit hours for the degree.
         SECTION 3.  Section 61.05151(a), Education Code, is amended
  to read as follows:
         (a)  To earn an associate degree, a student may not be
  required by an institution of higher education to complete more
  than the minimum number of semester credit hours required for the
  degree by the institution's recognized accrediting agency
  [Southern Association of Colleges and Schools or its successor]
  unless the institution determines that there is a compelling
  academic reason for requiring completion of additional semester
  credit hours for the degree.
         SECTION 4.  Section 61.8235(f), Education Code, is amended
  to read as follows:
         (f)  A student enrolled in a board-established program of
  study who transfers from a public junior college, public state
  college, or public technical institute to another public junior
  college, public state college, or public technical institute that
  offers a similar program, regardless of whether the institution has
  adopted the board-established program of study, shall receive
  academic credit from the institution to which the student
  transferred for each of the courses that the student has
  successfully completed in the program of study curriculum. Unless
  otherwise required by the institution's recognized accrediting
  agency [Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of
  Colleges and Schools], the student may complete the program of
  study at the institution to which the student transferred by
  completing only the remaining number of semester credit hours the
  student would need to complete the program of study at the
  institution from which the student transferred.
         SECTION 5.  Section 107.151(c), Education Code, is amended
  to read as follows:
         (c)  Notwithstanding any other provision of this subchapter,
  the university may operate as a general academic teaching
  institution only after the Texas Higher Education Coordinating
  Board certifies that the university is accredited by a recognized
  accrediting agency, as defined by Section 61.003, [the Southern
  Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges] and has
  been approved by the coordinating board to offer one or more degree
  programs. Until the coordinating board certifies that the
  conditions of this subsection have been met, the board of regents
  may operate a branch campus of Texas Woman's University in the city
  of Dallas.
         SECTION 6.  Section 107.201(c), Education Code, is amended
  to read as follows:
         (c)  Notwithstanding any other provision of this subchapter,
  the university may operate as a general academic teaching
  institution only after the Texas Higher Education Coordinating
  Board certifies that the university is accredited by a recognized
  accrediting agency, as defined by Section 61.003, [the Southern
  Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges] and has
  been approved by the coordinating board to offer one or more degree
  programs. Until the coordinating board certifies that the
  conditions of this subsection have been met, the board of regents
  may operate a branch campus of Texas Woman's University in the city
  of Houston.
         SECTION 7.  Section 130.301, Education Code, is amended by
  adding Subdivision (3) to read as follows:
               (3)  "Recognized accrediting agency" has the meaning
  assigned by Section 61.003.
         SECTION 8.  Section 130.305, Education Code, is amended to
  read as follows:
         Sec. 130.305.  ACCREDITATION. A public junior college
  offering a baccalaureate degree program under this subchapter must
  meet all applicable accreditation requirements of a recognized
  accrediting agency [the Commission on Colleges of the Southern
  Association of Colleges and Schools].
         SECTION 9.  Section 130.307(c), Education Code, is amended
  to read as follows:
         (c)  Before a public junior college may be authorized to
  offer a baccalaureate degree program under this subchapter, the
  public junior college must submit a report to the coordinating
  board that includes:
               (1)  a long-term financial plan for receiving
  accreditation from a recognized accrediting agency [the Commission
  on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools];
               (2)  a long-term plan for faculty recruitment that:
                     (A)  indicates the ability to pay the increased
  salaries of doctoral faculty;
                     (B)  identifies recruitment strategies for new
  faculty; and
                     (C)  ensures the program would not draw faculty
  employed by a neighboring institution offering a similar program;
               (3)  detailed information on the manner of program and
  course delivery; and
               (4)  detailed information regarding existing
  articulation agreements and dual enrollment agreements indicating:
                     (A)  that at least three articulation agreements
  have been established with general academic teaching institutions
  or medical and dental units, or the reasons why no articulation
  agreements have been established; and
                     (B)  that, with the agreement of the applicable
  general academic teaching institution or medical and dental unit,
  established articulation agreements are at capacity.
         SECTION 10.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2023.