Bill Text: TX HB3348 | 2015-2016 | 84th Legislature | Enrolled
Bill Title: Relating to authorization by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board for certain public junior colleges to offer baccalaureate degree programs.
Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Republican 3)
Status: (Passed) 2015-06-19 - Effective immediately [HB3348 Detail]
Download: Texas-2015-HB3348-Enrolled.html
| H.B. No. 3348 | ||
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| relating to authorization by the Texas Higher Education | ||
| Coordinating Board for certain public junior colleges to offer | ||
| baccalaureate degree programs. | ||
| BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
| SECTION 1. Section 130.0012, Education Code, is amended by | ||
| adding Subsections (b-1), (b-2), (b-3), (k), and (l) to read as | ||
| follows: | ||
| (b-1) The coordinating board shall establish a pilot | ||
| project to examine the feasibility and effectiveness of authorizing | ||
| baccalaureate degree programs in the field of dental hygiene at a | ||
| public junior college that offers a degree program in that field, | ||
| has a main campus located in the county seat of a county with a | ||
| population greater than 200,000, and includes territory in at least | ||
| six public school districts located in two counties. Subsection (g) | ||
| does not apply to junior-level and senior-level courses offered | ||
| under this subsection. In its recommendations to the legislature | ||
| relating to state funding for public junior colleges, the | ||
| coordinating board shall recommend that junior-level and | ||
| senior-level courses offered under this subsection by a public | ||
| junior college receive the same state support as other courses | ||
| offered by the public junior college. | ||
| (b-2) Not later than January 1, 2017, the coordinating board | ||
| shall prepare a progress report on the pilot project established | ||
| under Subsection (b-1). Not later than January 1, 2019, the | ||
| coordinating board shall prepare a report on the effectiveness of | ||
| the pilot project, including any recommendations for legislative | ||
| action regarding the offering of baccalaureate degree programs in | ||
| the field of dental hygiene by a public junior college. The | ||
| coordinating board shall deliver a copy of each report to the | ||
| governor, the lieutenant governor, the speaker of the house of | ||
| representatives, and the chair of the standing committee of each | ||
| house of the legislature with primary jurisdiction over higher | ||
| education. Unless the authority to continue offering a | ||
| baccalaureate degree program in the field of dental hygiene is | ||
| continued by the legislature, a public junior college may not: | ||
| (1) enroll a new student in a baccalaureate degree | ||
| program under the pilot project after the 2019 fall semester; | ||
| (2) offer junior-level or senior-level courses for | ||
| those degree programs after the 2021 fall semester, unless the | ||
| coordinating board authorizes the college to offer those courses; | ||
| or | ||
| (3) award a baccalaureate degree under the pilot | ||
| project after the 2021 fall semester, unless the coordinating board | ||
| approves the awarding of the degree. | ||
| (b-3) This subsection and Subsections (b-1) and (b-2) | ||
| expire on the first June 15 following the first regular legislative | ||
| session that occurs after the fourth anniversary of the date a | ||
| public junior college offering a degree program in the field of | ||
| dental hygiene under Subsection (b-1) meets the accreditation | ||
| requirements of Subsection (c). | ||
| (k) The coordinating board shall adopt rules as necessary | ||
| for the administration of this section. | ||
| (l) In this section, "general academic teaching | ||
| institution" and "institution of higher education" have the | ||
| meanings assigned by Section 61.003. | ||
| SECTION 2. 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 certify that H.B. No. 3348 was passed by the House on May 8, | ||
| 2015, by the following vote: Yeas 142, Nays 0, 2 present, not | ||
| voting; and that the House concurred in Senate amendments to H.B. | ||
| No. 3348 on May 27, 2015, by the following vote: Yeas 141, Nays 1, | ||
| 3 present, not voting. | ||
| ______________________________ | ||
| Chief Clerk of the House | ||
| I certify that H.B. No. 3348 was passed by the Senate, with | ||
| amendments, on May 25, 2015, by the following vote: Yeas 30, Nays | ||
| 1. | ||
| ______________________________ | ||
| Secretary of the Senate | ||
| APPROVED: __________________ | ||
| Date | ||
| __________________ | ||
| Governor | ||
