BILL ANALYSIS

Senate Research Center	S.B. 1400
89R11772 KJE-D	By: Kolkhorst
	Education K-16
	3/26/2025
	As Filed

AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT

In the modern landscape of higher education, it is not uncommon for a student to begin at a general academic institution (GAI) before taking classes at a public junior college. However, there has been uncertainty as to whether a student who meets this criteria can qualify under the transferable outcome under performance tier funding.

Following the passage of H.B. 8 in the 88th Regular Session, performance tier funding rewards junior colleges across the state for a student who enrolls in a GAI after earning 15 semester credit hours from a single public junior college district. Since then, the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board's rule 13.556� established that the student "must be enrolled at the GAI for the first time in the fiscal year for which public junior college eligible for a performance tier allocation." Despite the fiscal year qualification, this rule has created confusion for public junior colleges as to when a student is eligible to be counted as a transfer.

S.B. 1400 seeks to address this issue by clarifying that a student may have up to 30 semester credit hours from a GAI and still count towards the transfer outcome when transferring from a public junior college to a GAI.

As proposed, S.B. 1400 amends current law relating to measurable outcomes for certain transfer students for performance tier funding under the public junior college state finance program.

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 Section 130A.003, Education Code, by adding Subdivision (2-a) to define "general academic teaching institution."

SECTION 2. Amends Section 130A.101, Education Code, by amending Subsection (c) and adding Subsection (d), as follows:

(c) Makes a nonsubstantive change to this subsection.

(d) Requires a student transferring from a public junior college to a general academic teaching institution, for purposes of Subsection (c)(2) (relating to the number of students who earn at least 15 semester credit hours or the equivalent at the junior college district), to be considered a transfer student regardless of whether the student previously completed coursework at a general academic teaching institution if the student previously completed less than 30 semester credit hours or the equivalent at a general academic teaching institution at the time of transfer.

SECTION 3. Effective date: September 1, 2025.