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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to course credit for certain students at a public |
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institution of higher education. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Subchapter F, Chapter 51, Education Code, is |
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amended by adding Section 51.3042 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 51.3042. AWARD OF COURSE CREDIT FOR MILITARY SERVICE. |
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(a) In this section, "institution of higher education" has the |
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meaning assigned by Section 61.003. |
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(b) An institution of higher education shall award to an |
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undergraduate student who is admitted to the institution, including |
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a student who is readmitted under Section 51.9242, course credit |
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for all physical education courses required by the institution for |
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an undergraduate degree and for additional semester credit hours, |
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not to exceed 12, that may be applied to satisfy any equivalent |
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elective course requirements for the student's degree program for |
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courses outside the student's major or minor if the student: |
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(1) graduated from a public or private high school |
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accredited by a generally recognized accrediting organization or |
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from a high school operated by the United States Department of |
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Defense; and |
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(2) is an honorably discharged former member of the |
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armed forces of the United States who: |
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(A) completed at least two years of service in |
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the armed forces; or |
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(B) was discharged because of a disability. |
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(c) This section does not prohibit an institution of higher |
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education from awarding additional course credit for a student's |
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military service as the institution considers appropriate. |
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(d) An institution of higher education may adopt rules |
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requiring reasonable proof from a student of the fact and duration |
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of the student's military service and of the student's military |
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discharge status. |
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(e) The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board shall |
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adopt rules establishing standards for determining the equivalency |
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of military service experience to elective course requirements for |
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which a student may receive credit under Subsection (b). |
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SECTION 2. Subchapter Z, Chapter 51, Education Code, is |
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amended by adding Section 51.9112 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 51.9112. RESERVE OFFICERS' TRAINING CORPS (ROTC) |
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PROGRAM: FEES AND COURSE CREDIT. (a) The Texas Higher Education |
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Coordinating Board, in consultation with institutions of higher |
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education, shall determine a standard fee for a course offered |
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through a Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC) program that |
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takes into account the average statewide cost per student to an |
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institution of higher education in providing the program, not |
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including any reimbursement or other amounts the institution |
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receives from the applicable military service or other source for |
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offering the course. Except as provided by Subsection (b), the |
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governing board of each institution of higher education may not |
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charge a student enrolled in an ROTC course any amount for the |
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course in excess of the fee as determined by the coordinating board |
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under this subsection. |
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(b) If the governing board of an institution of higher |
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education offers course credit toward a student's degree for a |
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course in which the student enrolls for the purposes of an ROTC |
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program, the governing board may charge the student tuition for |
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that course as otherwise provided by Chapter 54 after subtracting |
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any reimbursement or other amount the institution receives from the |
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applicable military service or other source for offering the |
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course. |
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(c) To the extent it will not adversely affect the |
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accreditation status of an institution of higher education with the |
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appropriate accrediting agency, the governing board of the |
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institution shall count courses in which a student enrolls for the |
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purposes of an ROTC program, including courses for which the |
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student does not receive course credit toward the student's degree, |
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in determining whether the student is enrolled as a full-time |
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student. |
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SECTION 3. Section 51.3042, Education Code, as added by |
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this Act, applies to a student attending an institution of higher |
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education, without regard to whether the student was admitted to |
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the institution before the effective date of this Act. |
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SECTION 4. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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Act takes effect September 1, 2009. |
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