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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the accreditation of certain postsecondary educational |
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institutions in this state or of certain programs offered by those |
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institutions. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Sections 61.003(13) and (15), Education Code, |
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are amended to read as follows: |
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(13) "Recognized accrediting agency" means [the |
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Southern Association of Colleges and Schools and] any [other] |
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association or organization so designated by the board. |
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(15) "Private or independent institution of higher |
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education" includes only a private or independent college or |
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university that is: |
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(A) organized under the Texas Non-Profit |
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Corporation Act (Article 1396-1.01 et seq., Vernon's Texas Civil |
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Statutes); |
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(B) exempt from taxation under Article VIII, |
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Section 2, of the Texas Constitution and Section 501(c)(3) of the |
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Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (26 U.S.C. Section 501); and |
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(C) accredited by: |
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(i) a recognized accrediting agency |
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designated by the board for the purpose of accrediting general |
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academic teaching institutions [Commission on Colleges of the |
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Southern Association of Colleges and Schools]; |
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(ii) the Liaison Committee on Medical |
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Education; or |
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(iii) the American Bar Association. |
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SECTION 2. Section 61.0515(a), Education Code, is amended |
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to read as follows: |
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(a) To earn a baccalaureate degree, a student may not be |
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required by a general academic teaching institution to complete |
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more than the minimum number of semester credit hours required for |
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the degree by the institution's recognized accrediting agency |
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[Southern Association of Colleges and Schools or its successor] |
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unless the institution determines that there is a compelling |
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academic reason for requiring completion of additional semester |
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credit hours for the degree. |
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SECTION 3. Section 61.05151(a), Education Code, is amended |
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to read as follows: |
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(a) To earn an associate degree, a student may not be |
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required by an institution of higher education to complete more |
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than the minimum number of semester credit hours required for the |
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degree by the institution's recognized accrediting agency |
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[Southern Association of Colleges and Schools or its successor] |
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unless the institution determines that there is a compelling |
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academic reason for requiring completion of additional semester |
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credit hours for the degree. |
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SECTION 4. Section 61.222(a), Education Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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(a) The coordinating board shall approve only those private |
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or independent colleges or universities that are private or |
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independent institutions of higher education as defined by Section |
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61.003 as it applied on January 1, 2023. |
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SECTION 5. Section 61.8235(f), Education Code, is amended |
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to read as follows: |
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(f) A student enrolled in a board-established program of |
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study who transfers from a public junior college, public state |
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college, or public technical institute to another public junior |
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college, public state college, or public technical institute that |
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offers a similar program, regardless of whether the institution has |
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adopted the board-established program of study, shall receive |
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academic credit from the institution to which the student |
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transferred for each of the courses that the student has |
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successfully completed in the program of study curriculum. Unless |
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otherwise required by the institution's recognized accrediting |
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agency [Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of |
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Colleges and Schools], the student may complete the program of |
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study at the institution to which the student transferred by |
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completing only the remaining number of semester credit hours the |
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student would need to complete the program of study at the |
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institution from which the student transferred. |
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SECTION 6. Section 107.151(c), Education Code, is amended |
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to read as follows: |
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(c) Notwithstanding any other provision of this subchapter, |
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the university may operate as a general academic teaching |
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institution only after the Texas Higher Education Coordinating |
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Board certifies that the university is accredited by a recognized |
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accrediting agency, as defined by Section 61.003, [the Southern |
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Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges] and has |
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been approved by the coordinating board to offer one or more degree |
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programs. Until the coordinating board certifies that the |
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conditions of this subsection have been met, the board of regents |
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may operate a branch campus of Texas Woman's University in the city |
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of Dallas. |
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SECTION 7. Section 107.201(c), Education Code, is amended |
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to read as follows: |
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(c) Notwithstanding any other provision of this subchapter, |
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the university may operate as a general academic teaching |
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institution only after the Texas Higher Education Coordinating |
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Board certifies that the university is accredited by a recognized |
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accrediting agency, as defined by Section 61.003, [the Southern |
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Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges] and has |
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been approved by the coordinating board to offer one or more degree |
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programs. Until the coordinating board certifies that the |
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conditions of this subsection have been met, the board of regents |
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may operate a branch campus of Texas Woman's University in the city |
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of Houston. |
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SECTION 8. Section 130.301, Education Code, is amended by |
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adding Subdivision (3) to read as follows: |
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(3) "Recognized accrediting agency" has the meaning |
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assigned by Section 61.003. |
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SECTION 9. Section 130.305, Education Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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Sec. 130.305. ACCREDITATION. A public junior college |
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offering a baccalaureate degree program under this subchapter must |
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meet all applicable accreditation requirements of a recognized |
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accrediting agency [the Commission on Colleges of the Southern |
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Association of Colleges and Schools]. |
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SECTION 10. Section 130.307(c), Education Code, is amended |
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to read as follows: |
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(c) Before a public junior college may be authorized to |
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offer a baccalaureate degree program under this subchapter, the |
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public junior college must submit a report to the coordinating |
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board that includes: |
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(1) a long-term financial plan for receiving |
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accreditation from a recognized accrediting agency [the Commission |
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on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools]; |
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(2) a long-term plan for faculty recruitment that: |
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(A) indicates the ability to pay the increased |
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salaries of doctoral faculty; |
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(B) identifies recruitment strategies for new |
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faculty; and |
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(C) ensures the program would not draw faculty |
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employed by a neighboring institution offering a similar program; |
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(3) detailed information on the manner of program and |
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course delivery; and |
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(4) detailed information regarding existing |
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articulation agreements and dual enrollment agreements indicating: |
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(A) that at least three articulation agreements |
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have been established with general academic teaching institutions |
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or medical and dental units, or the reasons why no articulation |
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agreements have been established; and |
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(B) that, with the agreement of the applicable |
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general academic teaching institution or medical and dental unit, |
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established articulation agreements are at capacity. |
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SECTION 11. This Act takes effect September 1, 2023. |