By: West S.B. No. 2086
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
  relating to measures to facilitate the transfer of students and
  course credit within the public higher education system.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Subchapter S, Chapter 61, Education Code, is
  amended by adding Section 61.834 to read as follows:
         Sec. 61.834.  REGIONAL CONSORTIUM FOR TRANSFER COMPACTS.
  (a)  The board shall divide the state into regions for the purpose
  of establishing a regional consortium among the institutions of
  higher education located within each region to facilitate the
  transfer of students and the transfer of course credit between
  institutions within the region. In developing the regions, the
  board shall give consideration to existing consortiums.
         (b)  The board shall designate a general academic teaching
  institution within each region as the lead institution. Each
  public junior college, public state college, public technical
  institute, and general academic teaching institution shall
  participate in its assigned regional consortium.
         (c)  For the purposes of this section, each general academic
  teaching institution shall annually identify and report to the
  board the 25 degree programs with the greatest student enrollment
  at the institution or the degree programs in which a major has been
  declared that constitute at least 70 percent of the student
  enrollment at the institution. The board shall compile the
  information the board receives from the general academic teaching
  institutions in each regional consortium and report to each
  consortium the 25 degree programs at general academic teaching
  institutions in that consortium with the greatest student
  enrollment overall.
         (d)  Each regional consortium shall develop transfer
  compacts that identify specific courses included in the common
  course numbering system acceptable as credit toward the identified
  degree programs under Subsection (c) in each region. The transfer
  compacts must include agreements on the transfer of course credit
  for those degree programs and related student advising, career
  planning, and student support services at each institution in the
  regional consortium.
         (e)  The board shall adopt rules for the operation of a
  regional consortium established under this section.
         SECTION 2.  Section 61.830, Education Code, is amended to
  read as follows:
         Sec. 61.830.  PUBLICATION OF GUIDELINES ADDRESSING TRANSFER
  PRACTICES. (a)  In its course catalogs and on its website, each
  institution of higher education shall publish guidelines
  addressing the practices of the institution regarding the transfer
  of course credit.
         (b)  In the guidelines, each [the] institution of higher
  education must identify a course by using the common course
  numbering system approved by the board.
         (c)  Each general academic teaching institution must include
  the following in its guidelines:
               (1)  the identified degree programs under Section
  61.834(c) in the regional consortium in which the institution
  participates under Section 61.834 and the core curriculum and any
  additional lower-division requirements for each of those degree
  programs;
               (2)  a list of the courses offered by institutions of
  higher education participating in the institution's regional
  consortium that are considered by the board to be general academic
  transfer courses that may be offered for state funding by public
  junior colleges, public state colleges, and public technical
  institutes; and
               (3)  the field of study curriculum for each degree
  offered by the institution.
         (d)  Each public junior college, public state college, and
  public technical institute must prominently indicate in its
  guidelines any general academic teaching institution with which it
  has entered into an agreement concerning the transfer of course
  credit.
         SECTION 3.  (a)  Not later than January 1, 2018, the Texas
  Higher Education Coordinating Board shall establish the regional
  consortiums required by Section 61.834, Education Code, as added by
  this Act.
         (b)  Each regional consortium must develop the transfer
  compacts required under Section 61.834, Education Code, as added by
  this Act, to apply beginning with enrollment for the 2019 fall
  semester.
         SECTION 4.  The changes in law made by this Act to Section
  61.830, Education Code, apply beginning with the 2019-2020 academic
  year.
         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, 2017.