80R1344 CAS-D
 
  By: Brown of Brazos H.B. No. 116
 
 
 
   
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to limitations on the number of courses that students may
drop under certain circumstances at public institutions of higher
education.
       BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
       SECTION 1.  Subchapter Z, Chapter 51, Education Code, is
amended by adding Section 51.907 to read as follows:
       Sec. 51.907.  LIMITATIONS ON NUMBER OF COURSES THAT MAY BE
DROPPED UNDER CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES. (a) In this section,
"governing board" and "institution of higher education" have the
meanings assigned by Section 61.003.
       (b)  This section applies to dropping a course at an
institution of higher education only if:
             (1)  the student was able to drop the course without
receiving a grade or incurring an academic penalty; and
             (2)  the student's transcript indicates or will
indicate that the student was enrolled in the course.
       (c)  Except as provided under rules adopted under Subsection
(d), an institution of higher education may not permit a student to
drop more than three courses at that institution under
circumstances described by Subsection (b).
       (d)  The governing board of an institution of higher
education may adopt a policy under which the maximum number of
courses a student is permitted to drop under circumstances
described by Subsection (b) is less than the maximum number of
courses that a student may drop under this section.
       (e)  The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board shall
adopt rules under which an institution of higher education shall
permit a student to drop more courses at that institution under
circumstances described by Subsection (b)
than the number of
courses permitted to be dropped under Subsection (c) or under a
policy adopted under Subsection (d) if the student shows good cause
for dropping more than that number, including a showing of:
             (1)  a severe illness or other debilitating condition
that affects the student's ability to satisfactorily complete a
course; or
             (2)  the student's responsibility for the care of a
sick, injured, or needy person if the provision of care affects the
student's ability to satisfactorily complete a course.
       SECTION 2.  The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board
shall adopt the rules required by Section 51.907(e), Education
Code, as added by this Act, relating to permitting a student who
shows good cause to drop more than a specified number of courses, as
soon as practicable after this Act takes effect. For that purpose,
the coordinating board may adopt the initial rules in the manner
provided by law for emergency rules.
       SECTION 3.  Section 51.907, Education Code, as added by this
Act, applies only to the number of courses that may be dropped by a
student who beginning with the 2007 fall semester enrolls in a
public institution of higher education as a first-time freshman or
a transfer student.
       SECTION 4.  This Act takes effect immediately if it 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, this
Act takes effect September 1, 2007.