S.B. No. 1714

	AN ACT
	relating to the release of student academic information by a public
	institution of higher education for certain purposes and the manner
	in which the information is used.
	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
	SECTION 1.  Subchapter Z, Chapter 51, Education Code, is
	amended by adding Section 51.9715 to read as follows:
	Sec. 51.9715.  RELEASE OF STUDENT ACADEMIC INFORMATION.
	(a)  An institution of higher education may request the submission
	of a signed consent form authorizing the institution to release
	academic course, grade, and credit information with each:
	(1)  application for undergraduate transfer admission
	to the institution, if the institution is a general academic
	teaching institution, to be used for the purposes of Section
	61.833; or
	(2)  request from a student for a release of the
	student's transcript by the institution.
	(b)  An institution of higher education may release student
	information in accordance with Subsection (a) through:
	(1)  the National Student Clearinghouse; or
	(2)  a similar national electronic data sharing and
	exchange platform operated by an agent of the institution that
	meets nationally accepted standards, conventions, and practices.
	SECTION 2.  Section 61.833, Education Code, is amended by
	amending Subsections (a), (b), (c), and (d) and adding Subsections
	(c-1), (e), and (f) to read as follows:
	(a)  In this section,
	(1)  "lower-division institution of higher education"
	means a public junior college, public state college, or public
	technical institute; and
	(2)  "reverse transfer data sharing platform" means:
	(A)  the National Student Clearinghouse; or
	(B)  a similar national electronic data sharing
	and exchange platform operated by an agent of the institution that
	meets nationally accepted standards, conventions, and practices.
	(b)  Subsection (c) [This section] applies to a student
	enrolled in a general academic teaching institution who:
	(1)  transferred to the institution from or previously
	attended a lower-division institution of higher education;
	(2)  earned at least 30 credit hours for course work
	successfully completed at the lower-division institution of higher
	education; [and]
	(3)  has earned a cumulative total of at least 66 credit
	hours for course work successfully completed; and
	(4)  has not submitted a signed consent form by the
	method described in Section 51.9715(a).
	(c)  As soon as practicable after a student who is enrolled
	in a general academic teaching institution has met the criteria
	established by Subsection (b)(3), the institution by e-mail or
	other reasonable method shall request authorization from the
	student for the institution to release the student's academic
	course, grade, and credit information [transcript] to each [the]
	lower-division institution of higher education that the student
	previously attended or to a reverse transfer data sharing platform
	for the purpose of determining whether the student has earned the
	credits required for an associate degree awarded by a [the]
	lower-division institution of higher education. On receipt of a
	student's authorization under this subsection, the general
	academic teaching institution shall release the student's academic
	course, grade, and credit information [transcript] to the
	lower-division institution of higher education or to a reverse
	transfer data sharing platform.
	(c-1)  After a student who has submitted a signed consent
	form by the method described in Section 51.9715(a) completes a
	semester or term at a general academic teaching institution, the
	institution by the method described in Section 51.9715(b) shall
	release the student's academic course, grade, and credit
	information to a lower-division institution of higher education
	that the student previously attended for the purpose of determining
	whether the student has earned the credits required for an
	associate degree awarded by the lower-division institution of
	higher education.
	(d)  After receiving [a] student information [transcript]
	from a general academic teaching institution under Subsection (c)
	or Subsection (c-1), a lower-division institution of higher
	education shall review the information [transcript] and, if the
	lower-division institution of higher education determines the
	student has earned the credits required to receive an associate
	degree awarded by the lower-division institution of higher
	education, may award the student the degree.
	(e)  Nothing in this section affects the ability of a
	lower-division institution of higher education to determine the
	course work required to earn an associate degree awarded by that
	institution.
	(f)  Annually, each lower-division institution of higher
	education shall produce a report recording the number of degrees
	awarded by the institution in the previous academic year under this
	section.  An institution shall:
	(1)  make the report publicly available; and
	(2)  submit the information to a reverse transfer data
	sharing platform.
	SECTION 3.  (a)  The changes in law made by this Act apply
	beginning with the 2015 fall semester.
	(b)  For the purpose of administering Section 61.833,
	Education Code, as amended by this Act, in regard to a student who
	transferred to a general academic teaching institution before the
	institution could obtain a signed consent form from the student
	under Section 51.9715(a)(1), Education Code, as added by this Act,
	the institution shall request authorization from the student for
	the institution's release of the student's academic information
	under Section 61.833(c), Education Code, as amended by this Act, in
	the manner prescribed by that subsection as it existed immediately
	before the effective date of this Act.
	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, 2015.
	______________________________	______________________________
	President of the Senate	Speaker of the House
	I hereby certify that S.B. No. 1714 passed the Senate on
	April 20, 2015, by the following vote:  Yeas 30, Nays 0.
	______________________________
	Secretary of the Senate
	I hereby certify that S.B. No. 1714 passed the House on
	May 22, 2015, by the following vote:  Yeas 140, Nays 0, two
	present not voting.
	______________________________
	Chief Clerk of the House
	Approved:
	______________________________
	Date
	______________________________
	Governor