Bill Text: TX HB17 | 2017-2018 | 85th Legislature | Engrossed
Bill Title: Relating to the establishment of the Texas Higher Education Innovation Accelerator for public institutions of higher education.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 2-0)
Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2017-05-19 - Left pending in committee [HB17 Detail]
Download: Texas-2017-HB17-Engrossed.html
85R22613 KJE-D | ||
By: Lozano | H.B. No. 17 |
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relating to the establishment of the Texas Higher Education | ||
Innovation Accelerator for public institutions of higher | ||
education. | ||
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
SECTION 1. Subtitle A, Title 3, Education Code, is amended | ||
by adding Chapter 60 to read as follows: | ||
CHAPTER 60. TEXAS HIGHER EDUCATION INNOVATION ACCELERATOR | ||
Sec. 60.001. DEFINITIONS. In this chapter: | ||
(1) "Accelerator" means the Texas Higher Education | ||
Innovation Accelerator established under this chapter. | ||
(2) "Board," "governing board," and "institution of | ||
higher education" have the meanings assigned by Section 61.003. | ||
(3) "Commissioner" means the commissioner of higher | ||
education. | ||
(4) "Participating institution" means an institution | ||
of higher education whose governing board has approved an | ||
innovation plan for the institution under Section 60.005. | ||
Sec. 60.002. PURPOSE. The Texas Higher Education | ||
Innovation Accelerator is established to support and accelerate | ||
innovation in educational delivery at institutions of higher | ||
education and to advance state educational and workforce goals. | ||
Sec. 60.003. ELIGIBILITY. The commissioner, in | ||
consultation with institutions of higher education, established | ||
institutional collaboratives, and state and national subject | ||
matter experts, shall establish eligibility criteria for an | ||
institution of higher education's participation in the | ||
accelerator. The criteria must include demonstrated success, as | ||
determined by the commissioner, in: | ||
(1) providing high-quality, high-value educational | ||
opportunities to all students, particularly low-income and | ||
historically underserved student populations, including students | ||
enrolled in adult degree completion programs; and | ||
(2) advancing state and institutional goals related to | ||
educational access, persistence, and attainment and labor market | ||
outcomes. | ||
Sec. 60.004. NOTIFICATION AND INVITATION TO PARTICIPATE. | ||
(a) The commissioner shall: | ||
(1) notify the governing board and chief executive | ||
officer of each institution of higher education regarding the | ||
accelerator's implementation process; and | ||
(2) invite eligible institutions to participate in the | ||
accelerator. | ||
(b) The commissioner shall develop, in consultation with | ||
institutions of higher education, established institutional | ||
collaboratives, and state and national subject matter experts, and | ||
post on the board's Internet website: | ||
(1) a description of the accelerator; | ||
(2) the eligibility criteria for participation in the | ||
accelerator established under Section 60.003; and | ||
(3) a comprehensive list of state statutes and rules | ||
from which a participating institution may not be exempted under | ||
Section 60.006. | ||
Sec. 60.005. INNOVATION PLAN. (a) To participate in the | ||
accelerator, an eligible institution shall: | ||
(1) submit a letter of intent to participate to the | ||
commissioner; and | ||
(2) develop and submit an innovation plan to the | ||
institution's governing board as provided by this section. | ||
(b) An innovation plan must: | ||
(1) summarize the proposed educational programs to be | ||
offered under the accelerator, including: | ||
(A) each program's design, delivery methods, and | ||
implementation plan; and | ||
(B) the anticipated number and demographics of | ||
students to be served by each program; | ||
(2) describe in detail the modifications to | ||
traditional program structures necessary to implement the proposed | ||
educational programs, such as changes to institutional calendars, | ||
course schedules or structures, faculty workload, credit hours, or | ||
other program requirements; | ||
(3) identify how the proposed educational programs | ||
align with specific state and institutional goals; | ||
(4) include, to the extent practical, data regarding | ||
educational programs offered at other institutions of higher | ||
education that are similar to each proposed educational program, | ||
including: | ||
(A) student enrollment and demographics; | ||
(B) student academic success, including the | ||
average time for a student enrolled in the program to complete a | ||
certificate or degree; and | ||
(C) career placement data; | ||
(5) provide for the assessment of student academic | ||
success and ongoing program evaluation and improvement; | ||
(6) commit the institution to participation in regular | ||
meetings of the participating institutions and to the research and | ||
evaluation efforts of the accelerator; | ||
(7) include a plan for operations, staffing, | ||
oversight, and sources of funding for the innovation plan; and | ||
(8) identify any state statutes or rules that inhibit | ||
the goals of the innovation plan and from which the institution | ||
should be exempted on adoption of the plan, subject to Section | ||
60.006, and state how the identified statutes or rules inhibit the | ||
goals of the plan and how an exemption from those statutes or rules | ||
will advance state and institutional educational goals. | ||
(c) In addition to the state statutes or rules identified | ||
under Subsection (b)(8), the institution may also identify other | ||
state statutes or rules that inhibit the goals of the innovation | ||
plan but from which the institution is not seeking an exemption. | ||
(d) An innovation plan may include one or more departments | ||
or certificate or degree programs. | ||
(e) If an eligible institution's governing board approves | ||
an innovation plan developed under this section, the institution | ||
shall: | ||
(1) submit a copy of the plan to the commissioner; and | ||
(2) post the plan on the institution's Internet | ||
website. | ||
(f) An eligible institution may implement one or more | ||
innovation plans that comply with this section. | ||
Sec. 60.006. PERMISSIBLE EXEMPTIONS. (a) On approval of an | ||
innovation plan by the institution's governing board, a | ||
participating institution is exempt from the state statutes or | ||
rules identified in the plan or identified by the commissioner as | ||
needing to be exempted for proper implementation of the plan. | ||
(b) A participating institution's exemption under | ||
Subsection (a) applies to any subsequent amendment or redesignation | ||
of the exempted state statute or rule, unless the subsequent | ||
amendment or redesignation specifically applies to participating | ||
institutions or an educational program offered under this chapter. | ||
(c) A participating institution may not receive an | ||
exemption under this section from: | ||
(1) a federal statute or rule; | ||
(2) any requirements imposed by statute or rule with | ||
which the institution must comply to maintain accreditation; | ||
(3) a state statute or rule that would have the effect | ||
of limiting or abrogating the authority of the institution's | ||
governing board; | ||
(4) any reporting requirements under federal or state | ||
statute or rule related to accountability; | ||
(5) requirements related to automatic admissions | ||
under Section 51.803 or 51.804; | ||
(6) any mandatory tuition or fee exemptions, waivers, | ||
or other benefits under Subchapter D, Chapter 54; | ||
(7) eligibility criteria under state statute or rule | ||
for state financial assistance; | ||
(8) the requirement for the board's approval for a new | ||
certificate or degree program under Section 61.0512; or | ||
(9) any state statute or rule related to health or | ||
safety. | ||
Sec. 60.007. DUTIES OF COMMISSIONER. (a) The commissioner | ||
shall: | ||
(1) maintain and post on the board's Internet website a | ||
list of state statutes or rules from which participating | ||
institutions are exempt under this chapter; | ||
(2) ensure that each participating institution | ||
provides transparent and accurate reporting on the institution's | ||
progress with the innovation plan; | ||
(3) provide technical assistance to participating | ||
institutions on request; and | ||
(4) hold meetings of all participating institutions at | ||
times established by board rule to facilitate cross-institutional | ||
collaboration and publicity about innovative educational programs | ||
developed by the institutions. | ||
(b) The commissioner shall annually prepare and submit to | ||
the legislature and the governing board of each participating | ||
institution a report on the accelerator. The report must include: | ||
(1) an evaluation of the progress made by | ||
participating institutions related to the development and | ||
implementation of the institutions' respective innovation plans; | ||
(2) a list of federal and accreditation statutes or | ||
rules that impede innovation in postsecondary educational | ||
delivery; and | ||
(3) any recommendations for legislative or other | ||
action. | ||
Sec. 60.008. DUTIES OF PARTICIPATING INSTITUTIONS. A | ||
participating institution shall: | ||
(1) track the progress and success of the | ||
institution's innovation plan in accordance with the assessment and | ||
success measures detailed in the plan; and | ||
(2) participate in regular meetings of the | ||
participating institutions and the research and evaluation efforts | ||
of the accelerator. | ||
Sec. 60.009. EVALUATION OF INNOVATION PLAN. (a) A | ||
participating institution shall, in accordance with board rule, | ||
partner or contract with one or more private organizations, | ||
including a nonprofit organization, to evaluate the institution's | ||
innovation plan and the results of the plan's implementation. | ||
(b) The results of an evaluation of a participating | ||
institution's innovation plan must be provided to each | ||
participating institution and to the commissioner and posted on the | ||
institution's Internet website. | ||
Sec. 60.010. TERM. The term of an institution of higher | ||
education's participation in the accelerator may not be less than | ||
four years, and the term of an innovation plan may not be less than | ||
three years or more than five years. | ||
Sec. 60.011. AMENDMENT, RESCISSION, OR RENEWAL OF | ||
INNOVATION PLAN. (a) An innovation plan may be amended by the | ||
chief academic officer of a participating institution with prior | ||
notification to the commissioner and the institution's governing | ||
board. | ||
(b) An innovation plan may be rescinded or renewed subject | ||
to approval of the participating institution's governing board. | ||
(c) The commissioner may recommend to a participating | ||
institution's governing board that the governing board: | ||
(1) renew the innovation plan due to the institution's | ||
performance; or | ||
(2) rescind its approval of the innovation plan if the | ||
institution does not, as determined by the commissioner: | ||
(A) demonstrate satisfactory progress on | ||
intended outcomes; | ||
(B) maintain eligibility requirements; and | ||
(C) participate in good faith and contribute to | ||
meetings of the participating institutions and the research and | ||
evaluation efforts of the accelerator. | ||
Sec. 60.012. TERMINATION BY COMMISSIONER. (a) The | ||
commissioner may remove a participating institution from the | ||
accelerator if the institution fails to meet eligibility | ||
requirements, as determined by the commissioner, for at least two | ||
consecutive years. | ||
(b) Except as provided by Subsection (c), if a participating | ||
institution is removed from the accelerator under this section, the | ||
institution shall modify its educational programs as necessary to | ||
comply with previously exempted state statutes or rules not later | ||
than the first class day of the next academic term following the | ||
institution's removal. | ||
(c) The commissioner may exempt a participating institution | ||
removed from the accelerator under this section from state statutes | ||
or rules as necessary to minimize disruption for students enrolled | ||
in the educational programs offered under the institution's | ||
innovation plan. | ||
Sec. 60.013. RULES. The board may adopt rules as necessary | ||
to implement this chapter. | ||
SECTION 2. (a) Not later than the 30th day after the | ||
effective date of this Act, the commissioner of higher education | ||
shall notify the governing board and chief executive officer of | ||
each public institution of higher education regarding the | ||
implementation process for the Texas Higher Education Innovation | ||
Accelerator established under Chapter 60, Education Code, as added | ||
by this Act, as required by Section 60.004(a) of that chapter. | ||
(b) Not later than January 1, 2018, the commissioner of | ||
higher education shall: | ||
(1) invite eligible public institutions of higher | ||
education to participate in the Texas Higher Education Innovation | ||
Accelerator as provided by Section 60.004(a), Education Code, as | ||
added by this Act; and | ||
(2) post on the Texas Higher Education Coordinating | ||
Board's Internet website the information required under Section | ||
60.004(b), Education Code, as added by this Act. | ||
SECTION 3. This Act applies beginning with the 2018-2019 | ||
academic year. | ||
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, 2017. |