Bill Text: TX SB863 | 2019-2020 | 86th Legislature | Comm Sub
Bill Title: Relating to a study of costs associated with dual credit courses offered at public high schools.
Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Republican 2-1)
Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2019-05-06 - Committee report sent to Calendars [SB863 Detail]
Download: Texas-2019-SB863-Comm_Sub.html
By: Watson, et al. | S.B. No. 863 | |
(Frullo) | ||
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relating to a study of costs associated with dual credit courses | ||
offered at public high schools. | ||
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 28, Education Code, is | ||
amended by adding Section 28.0091 to read as follows: | ||
Sec. 28.0091. STUDY OF COSTS OF DUAL CREDIT COURSES. | ||
(a) The agency shall conduct an ongoing study to examine costs | ||
associated with dual credit courses offered at public high schools. | ||
In conducting the study, the agency shall: | ||
(1) collect from school districts, public | ||
institutions of higher education, and the Texas Higher Education | ||
Coordinating Board data relating to costs associated with dual | ||
credit courses, including: | ||
(A) tuition and required fees; | ||
(B) the cost of required textbooks or other | ||
instructional materials; | ||
(C) the cost of student transportation to and | ||
from the location at which a dual credit course is provided; | ||
(D) any fee collected to pay the instructor of a | ||
dual credit course; | ||
(E) the cost of any assessment instrument | ||
administered under Section 51.333 as a prerequisite for enrollment | ||
in a dual credit course; | ||
(F) the cost of using a facility at which a dual | ||
credit course is provided; and | ||
(G) any other associated costs identified during | ||
the study; | ||
(2) identify the sources of funding for dual credit | ||
courses and the amount funded by each source; and | ||
(3) consult with relevant stakeholders, including the | ||
Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, the American Institutes | ||
for Research, and the Texas Dual Credit Task Force. | ||
(b) The agency may contract with any public or private | ||
entity to conduct the study under this section. | ||
(c) Not later than December 1 of each even-numbered year, | ||
the agency shall submit to the governor, the lieutenant governor, | ||
and the speaker of the house of representatives a report on the | ||
results of the study under this section. The report must include a | ||
comparison of: | ||
(1) costs associated with dual credit courses offered | ||
at public high schools generally and costs associated with dual | ||
credit courses offered through a college and career readiness | ||
school program, including: | ||
(A) an early college high school program; | ||
(B) the Pathways in Technology Early College High | ||
School (P-TECH) program established under Section 29.553; | ||
(C) an Industry Cluster Innovative Academy; and | ||
(D) a Texas Science, Technology, Engineering, | ||
and Mathematics (T-STEM) Center; and | ||
(2) the cost associated with dual credit courses per | ||
semester credit hour or the equivalent and the total cost | ||
associated with those courses. | ||
(d) The commissioner may adopt rules as necessary to | ||
administer this section. | ||
SECTION 2. Not later than December 1, 2020, the Texas | ||
Education Agency shall submit the initial report required under | ||
Section 28.0091, Education Code, as added by this Act. | ||
SECTION 3. The Texas Education Agency is required to | ||
implement a provision of this Act only if the legislature | ||
appropriates money specifically for that purpose. If the | ||
legislature does not appropriate money specifically for that | ||
purpose, the Texas Education Agency may, but is not required to, | ||
implement a provision of this Act using other appropriations | ||
available for that purpose. | ||
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, 2019. |