82R2003 JRJ-D
 
  By: Castro H.B. No. 992
 
 
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
 
AN ACT
 
  relating to excess undergraduate credit hours at public
 
  institutions of higher education.
         
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         
         SECTION 1.  Section 51.907, Education Code, is amended by
 
  amending Subsections (a) and (c) and adding Subsections (g) and (h)
 
  to read as follows:
         
         (a)  In this section, "general academic teaching
 
  institution," "governing board," [and] "institution of higher
 
  education," and "public junior college" have the meanings assigned
 
  by Section 61.003.
         
         (c)  Except as provided under rules adopted under Subsection
 
  (d) or by Subsection (g), an institution of higher education may not
 
  permit a student to drop more than six courses, including any course
 
  a transfer student has dropped at another institution of higher
 
  education, under circumstances described by Subsection (b).
         
         (g)  In determining the number of courses dropped by a
 
  student for purposes of this section, a general academic teaching
 
  institution may not count a course dropped by a student enrolled in
 
  the institution if:
               
               (1)  the student dropped the course while enrolled in a
 
  public junior college; and
               
               (2)  the student transferred to the general academic
 
  teaching institution after earning from another institution of
 
  higher education:
                     
                     (A)  at least 30 semester credit hours; or
                     
                     (B)  an associate degree.
         
         (h)  An institution of higher education shall provide
 
  written notice to each undergraduate student of the provisions of
 
  this section before the end of the first semester in which the
 
  student is enrolled in the institution.
         
         SECTION 2.  Section 61.0595(d), Education Code, is amended
 
  to read as follows:
         
         (d)  The following are not counted for purposes of
 
  determining whether the student has previously earned the number of
 
  semester credit hours specified by Subsection (a):
               
               (1)  semester credit hours earned by the student before
 
  receiving an associate or [a] baccalaureate degree that has
 
  previously been awarded to the student;
               
               (2)  semester credit hours earned by the student by
 
  examination or under any other procedure by which credit is earned
 
  without registering for a course for which tuition is charged;
               
               (3)  credit for a remedial education course, a
 
  technical course, a workforce education course funded according to
 
  contact hours, or another course that does not count toward a degree
 
  program at the institution;
               
               (4)  semester credit hours earned by the student at a
 
  private institution or an out-of-state institution; and
               
               (5)  semester credit hours earned by the student before
 
  graduating from high school and used to satisfy high school
 
  graduation requirements.
         
         SECTION 3.  The change in law made by this Act to Section
 
  61.0595, Education Code, applies beginning with the funding
 
  recommendations made under Section 61.059, Education Code, for the
 
  2013-2014 academic year.
         
         SECTION 4.  The change in law made by this Act to Section
 
  51.907, Education Code, applies beginning with the fall 2011
 
  semester.
         
         SECTION 5.  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, 2011.