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89(R) SB 2847 - House Committee Report version - Bill Text
89R32390 JTZ-F
By: Hagenbuch
S.B. No. 2847
(Shaheen)
Substitute the following for S.B. No. 2847:
No.
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to measures to accelerate the award of bachelor's degrees,
including the establishment of the general education curriculum
advisory committee, and to the number of semester credit hours
required for the core curriculum for certain bachelor's degree
programs at a public institution of higher education.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Subchapter C, Chapter 61, Education Code, is
amended by adding Section 61.0522 to read as follows:
Sec.
61.0522.
GENERAL EDUCATION CURRICULUM ADVISORY
COMMITTEE. (a) In this section:
(1)
"Advisory committee" means the general education
curriculum advisory committee established under this section.
(2)
"General education curriculum" means a core
curriculum, as that term is defined by Section 61.821, and any other
curriculum or competency all undergraduate students of an
institution of higher education are required to complete before
receiving an undergraduate degree.
(b)
The board shall establish an advisory committee to
review the general education curriculum requirements of
institutions of higher education.
(c)
The board shall call for nominations from presidents or
chief executive officers, chancellors, and chief academic officers
at all institutions of higher education for representatives to
serve on the advisory committee. The board shall select a number of
representatives determined by the board from those nominated with
nominees drawn equally from two-year and four-year institutions.
(d)
The advisory committee shall consider methods for
determining general education curriculum component courses and for
condensing the number of general education curriculum courses
required at institutions of higher education.
(e)
Not later than November 1, 2026, the advisory committee
shall produce a report regarding the advisory committee's findings
and recommendations under this section and provide the report to
the board.
(f)
Not later than December 31, 2026, the board shall review
the advisory committee's report and submit to the legislature the
board's recommendations for legislative or other action necessary
to implement the findings of the report.
(g)
The advisory committee is abolished and this section
expires September 1, 2027.
SECTION 2. Section 61.822, Education Code, is amended by
adding Subsection (b-1) to read as follows:
(b-1)
The board by rule may approve a core curriculum of
fewer than 42 semester credit hours for a bachelor's degree program
at an institution of higher education if the board determines that
the approval would accelerate student completion of
workforce-aligned credentials, as defined by board rule.
SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.