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AN ACT
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relating to measures to facilitate the timely completion of degrees |
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by students of public institutions 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 Z, Chapter 51, Education Code, is |
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amended by adding Section 51.9685 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 51.9685. REQUIRED FILING OF DEGREE PLAN. (a) In this |
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section: |
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(1) "Degree plan" means a statement of the course of |
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study requirements that an undergraduate student at an institution |
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of higher education must complete in order to be awarded an |
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associate or bachelor's degree from the institution. |
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(2) "Institution of higher education" has the meaning |
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assigned by Section 61.003. |
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(b) Except as otherwise provided by Subsection (c), each |
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student enrolled in an associate or bachelor's degree program at an |
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institution of higher education shall file a degree plan with the |
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institution not later than the end of the second regular semester or |
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term immediately following the semester or term in which the |
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student earned a cumulative total of 45 or more semester credit |
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hours for coursework successfully completed by the student, |
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including transfer courses, international baccalaureate courses, |
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dual credit courses, and any other course for which the institution |
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the student attends has awarded the student college course credit, |
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including course credit awarded by examination. |
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(c) A student to whom this section applies who begins the |
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student's first semester or term at an institution of higher |
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education with 45 or more semester credit hours of course credit for |
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courses described by Subsection (b) shall file a degree plan with |
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the institution not later than the end of the student's second |
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regular semester or term at the institution. |
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(d) An institution of higher education shall provide to |
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students to whom this section applies information regarding the |
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degree plan filing requirement under this section and options for |
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consulting with an academic advisor for that purpose, which may |
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include consultation through electronic communication. |
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(e) At each registration for a semester or term, a student |
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who is required to have filed a degree plan under this section |
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before that semester or term shall verify to the institution that: |
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(1) the student has filed a degree plan with the |
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institution; and |
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(2) the courses for which the student is registering |
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are consistent with that degree plan. |
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(f) If a student to whom this section applies does not |
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timely file a degree plan, the institution of higher education in |
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which the student is enrolled shall notify the student that the |
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degree plan is required by law and require the student to consult |
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with an academic advisor for that purpose in accordance with the |
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consulting options under Subsection (d) during the semester or term |
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in which the student receives the notice. The student may not |
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obtain an official transcript from the institution until the |
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student has filed a degree plan with the institution. |
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(g) The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, in |
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consultation with institutions of higher education, may adopt rules |
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as necessary for the administration of this section. |
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SECTION 2. Subchapter S, Chapter 61, Education Code, is |
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amended by adding Section 61.833 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 61.833. CREDIT TRANSFER FOR ASSOCIATE DEGREE. (a) In |
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this section, "lower-division institution of higher education" |
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means a public junior college, public state college, or public |
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technical institute. |
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(b) This section applies to a student enrolled in a general |
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academic teaching institution who: |
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(1) transferred to the institution from or previously |
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attended a lower-division institution of higher education; |
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(2) earned at least 30 credit hours for course work |
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successfully completed at the lower-division institution of higher |
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education; and |
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(3) has earned a cumulative total of at least 90 credit |
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hours for course work successfully completed. |
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(c) As soon as practicable after a student who is enrolled |
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in a general academic teaching institution has met the criteria |
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established by Subsection (b)(3), the institution by e-mail or |
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other reasonable method shall request authorization from the |
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student for the institution to release the student's transcript to |
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the lower-division institution of higher education that the student |
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previously attended for the purpose of determining whether the |
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student has earned the credits required for an associate degree |
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awarded by the lower-division institution of higher education. On |
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receipt of a student's authorization under this subsection, the |
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general academic teaching institution shall release the student's |
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transcript to the lower-division institution of higher education. |
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(d) After receiving a student transcript from a general |
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academic teaching institution under Subsection (c), a |
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lower-division institution of higher education shall review the |
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transcript and, if the lower-division institution of higher |
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education determines the student has earned the credits required to |
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receive an associate degree awarded by the lower-division |
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institution of higher education, may award the student the degree. |
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SECTION 3. Section 51.9685, Education Code, as added by |
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this Act, applies beginning with undergraduate students who |
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initially enroll in a public institution of higher education for |
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the 2012 fall semester. |
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SECTION 4. The change in law made by this Act by adding |
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Section 61.833, Education Code, applies to a student who not |
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earlier than the 2011 fall semester transfers to or otherwise |
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initially enrolls in a general academic teaching institution after |
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attending a lower-division institution of higher education. |
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SECTION 5. 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, 2011. |
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______________________________ |
______________________________ |
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President of the Senate |
Speaker of the House |
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I certify that H.B. No. 3025 was passed by the House on May |
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10, 2011, by the following vote: Yeas 147, Nays 0, 1 present, not |
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voting; that the House refused to concur in Senate amendments to |
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H.B. No. 3025 on May 27, 2011, and requested the appointment of a |
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conference committee to consider the differences between the two |
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houses; and that the House adopted the conference committee report |
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on H.B. No. 3025 on May 29, 2011, by the following vote: Yeas 144, |
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Nays 0, 2 present, not voting. |
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______________________________ |
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Chief Clerk of the House |
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I certify that H.B. No. 3025 was passed by the Senate, with |
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amendments, on May 25, 2011, by the following vote: Yeas 31, Nays |
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0; at the request of the House, the Senate appointed a conference |
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committee to consider the differences between the two houses; and |
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that the Senate adopted the conference committee report on H.B. No. |
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3025 on May 29, 2011, by the following vote: Yeas 31, Nays 0 |
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. |
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______________________________ |
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Secretary of the Senate |
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APPROVED: __________________ |
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Date |
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__________________ |
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Governor |