Bill Text: TX HB3025 | 2011-2012 | 82nd Legislature | Enrolled
Bill Title: Relating to measures to facilitate the timely completion of degrees by students of public institutions of higher education.
Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Republican 3-1)
Status: (Passed) 2011-06-17 - Effective immediately [HB3025 Detail]
Download: Texas-2011-HB3025-Enrolled.html
H.B. No. 3025 |
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relating to measures to facilitate the timely completion of degrees | ||
by students of public institutions of higher education. | ||
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
SECTION 1. Subchapter Z, Chapter 51, Education Code, is | ||
amended by adding Section 51.9685 to read as follows: | ||
Sec. 51.9685. REQUIRED FILING OF DEGREE PLAN. (a) In this | ||
section: | ||
(1) "Degree plan" means a statement of the course of | ||
study requirements that an undergraduate student at an institution | ||
of higher education must complete in order to be awarded an | ||
associate or bachelor's degree from the institution. | ||
(2) "Institution of higher education" has the meaning | ||
assigned by Section 61.003. | ||
(b) Except as otherwise provided by Subsection (c), each | ||
student enrolled in an associate or bachelor's degree program at an | ||
institution of higher education shall file a degree plan with the | ||
institution not later than the end of the second regular semester or | ||
term immediately following the semester or term in which the | ||
student earned a cumulative total of 45 or more semester credit | ||
hours for coursework successfully completed by the student, | ||
including transfer courses, international baccalaureate courses, | ||
dual credit courses, and any other course for which the institution | ||
the student attends has awarded the student college course credit, | ||
including course credit awarded by examination. | ||
(c) A student to whom this section applies who begins the | ||
student's first semester or term at an institution of higher | ||
education with 45 or more semester credit hours of course credit for | ||
courses described by Subsection (b) shall file a degree plan with | ||
the institution not later than the end of the student's second | ||
regular semester or term at the institution. | ||
(d) An institution of higher education shall provide to | ||
students to whom this section applies information regarding the | ||
degree plan filing requirement under this section and options for | ||
consulting with an academic advisor for that purpose, which may | ||
include consultation through electronic communication. | ||
(e) At each registration for a semester or term, a student | ||
who is required to have filed a degree plan under this section | ||
before that semester or term shall verify to the institution that: | ||
(1) the student has filed a degree plan with the | ||
institution; and | ||
(2) the courses for which the student is registering | ||
are consistent with that degree plan. | ||
(f) If a student to whom this section applies does not | ||
timely file a degree plan, the institution of higher education in | ||
which the student is enrolled shall notify the student that the | ||
degree plan is required by law and require the student to consult | ||
with an academic advisor for that purpose in accordance with the | ||
consulting options under Subsection (d) during the semester or term | ||
in which the student receives the notice. The student may not | ||
obtain an official transcript from the institution until the | ||
student has filed a degree plan with the institution. | ||
(g) The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, in | ||
consultation with institutions of higher education, may adopt rules | ||
as necessary for the administration of this section. | ||
SECTION 2. Subchapter S, Chapter 61, Education Code, is | ||
amended by adding Section 61.833 to read as follows: | ||
Sec. 61.833. CREDIT TRANSFER FOR ASSOCIATE DEGREE. (a) In | ||
this section, "lower-division institution of higher education" | ||
means a public junior college, public state college, or public | ||
technical institute. | ||
(b) 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 90 credit | ||
hours for course work successfully completed. | ||
(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 transcript to | ||
the 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. On | ||
receipt of a student's authorization under this subsection, the | ||
general academic teaching institution shall release the student's | ||
transcript to the lower-division institution of higher education. | ||
(d) After receiving a student transcript from a general | ||
academic teaching institution under Subsection (c), a | ||
lower-division institution of higher education shall review the | ||
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. | ||
SECTION 3. Section 51.9685, Education Code, as added by | ||
this Act, applies beginning with undergraduate students who | ||
initially enroll in a public institution of higher education for | ||
the 2012 fall semester. | ||
SECTION 4. The change in law made by this Act by adding | ||
Section 61.833, Education Code, applies to a student who not | ||
earlier than the 2011 fall semester transfers to or otherwise | ||
initially enrolls in a general academic teaching institution after | ||
attending a lower-division institution of higher education. | ||
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. | ||
______________________________ | ______________________________ | |
President of the Senate | Speaker of the House | |
I certify that H.B. No. 3025 was passed by the House on May | ||
10, 2011, by the following vote: Yeas 147, Nays 0, 1 present, not | ||
voting; that the House refused to concur in Senate amendments to | ||
H.B. No. 3025 on May 27, 2011, and requested the appointment of a | ||
conference committee to consider the differences between the two | ||
houses; and that the House adopted the conference committee report | ||
on H.B. No. 3025 on May 29, 2011, by the following vote: Yeas 144, | ||
Nays 0, 2 present, not voting. | ||
______________________________ | ||
Chief Clerk of the House | ||
I certify that H.B. No. 3025 was passed by the Senate, with | ||
amendments, on May 25, 2011, by the following vote: Yeas 31, Nays | ||
0; at the request of the House, the Senate appointed a conference | ||
committee to consider the differences between the two houses; and | ||
that the Senate adopted the conference committee report on H.B. No. | ||
3025 on May 29, 2011, by the following vote: Yeas 31, Nays 0 | ||
. | ||
______________________________ | ||
Secretary of the Senate | ||
APPROVED: __________________ | ||
Date | ||
__________________ | ||
Governor |