BILL ANALYSIS

Senate Research Center	H.B. 1868
89R23240 KJE-D	By: Leo Wilson; Perez, Vincent (Zaffirini)
	Education K-16
	5/21/2025
	Engrossed

AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT

Currently, public junior colleges receive performance-based funding only when students complete 15 semester credit hours of dual credit coursework, while independent school districts receive recognition at nine credit hours. This creates a funding misalignment that may discourage support for shorter, yet valuable, dual credit sequences.

H.B. 1868 would require the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board to study the feasibility and fiscal and policy implications of reducing the funding threshold from 15 to nine credit hours. The study must evaluate student benefits such as alignment with the public school accountability system, reduced time and cost to degree, and comparative completion outcomes. It must also assess the current and projected workforce capacity to deliver dual credit instruction, identify barriers to certification, and propose strategies to expand the instructor pipeline. This bill enables the state to assess whether adjusting funding policy could improve access, promote equity, and better support dual credit expansion.

H.B. 1868 amends current law relating to a study on changes to performance tier funding for dual credit or dual enrollment courses under the public junior college state finance program and the capacity of the state's workforce to teach dual credit or dual enrollment courses.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

This bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, institution, or agency.

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1. Amends Subchapter C, Chapter 130A, Education Code, by adding Section 130A.1011, as follows:

Sec. 130A.1011. STUDY ON DUAL CREDIT OR DUAL ENROLLMENT COURSE SEQUENCES AND WORKFORCE CAPACITY. (a) Requires the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) to conduct a study to assess the feasibility and the fiscal and policy implications, including the fiscal impact to the state, of decreasing the number of semester credit hours or the equivalent for a sequence of dual credit or dual enrollment courses for purposes of performance tier funding under Section 130A.101(c)(3) (relating to the measurable outcome of the number of students who complete a certain sequence of dual credit courses to consider for performance tier funding) to nine semester credit hours or the equivalent.

(b) Requires THECB, in conducting the study, to assess certain criteria.

(c) Authorizes THECB to consult with the Texas Education Agency and institutions of higher education in conducting the study.

(d) Requires THECB, not later than December 1, 2026, to submit to the legislature a report on the results of the study conducted under this section and any recommendations for legislative or other action, including recommendations for actions to support an expanded workforce of dual credit or dual enrollment instructors.

(e) Provides that this section expires September 1, 2027.

SECTION 2. Effective date: upon passage or September 1, 2025.