By: West S.B. No. 1782     A BILL TO BE ENTITLED   AN ACT   relating to the elimination of certain formula funding and dropped   course restrictions for returning adult students at public   institutions of higher education.          BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:          SECTION 1.  Section 51.907, Education Code, is amended by   adding Subsection (e-1) to read as follows:          (e-1)  The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board shall   adopt rules under which an institution of higher education shall   permit a student to drop one additional course under circumstances   described by Subsection (b) than the number of courses permitted to   be dropped under Subsection (c) or under a policy adopted under   Subsection (d) if the student:                (1)  has reenrolled at the institution following a   break in enrollment from the institution or another institution of   higher education covering the 24-month period preceding the first   class day of the initial semester or other academic term of the   student's reenrollment; and                 (2)  successfully completed at least 50 semester credit   hours of course work at an institution of higher education before   that break in enrollment.          SECTION 2.  Section 61.059, Education Code, is amended by   adding Subsection (r) to read as follows:          (r)  Notwithstanding any other law, the board may not exclude   from the number of semester credit hours reported to the   Legislative Budget Board for formula funding under this section   semester credit hours for any course taken up to three times by a   student who:                (1)  has reenrolled at an institution of higher   education following a break in enrollment from the institution or   another institution of higher education covering the 24-month   period preceding the first class day of the initial semester or   other academic term of the student's reenrollment; and                (2)  successfully completed at least 50 semester credit   hours of course work at an institution of higher education before   that break in enrollment.          SECTION 3.  Section 61.0595(d), Education Code, is amended   to read as follows:          (d)  The following are not counted for purposes of   determining whether the student has previously earned the number of   semester credit hours specified by Subsection (a):                (1)  semester credit hours earned by the student before   receiving a baccalaureate degree that has previously been awarded   to the student;                (2)  semester credit hours earned by the student by   examination or under any other procedure by which credit is earned   without registering for a course for which tuition is charged;                (3)  credit for a remedial education course, a   technical course, a workforce education course funded according to   contact hours, or another course that does not count toward a degree   program at the institution;                (4)  semester credit hours earned by the student at a   private institution or an out-of-state institution; [and]                (5)  semester credit hours earned by the student before   graduating from high school and used to satisfy high school   graduation requirements; and                (6)  the first additional 15 semester credit hours   earned toward a degree program by a student who:                      (A)  has reenrolled at an institution of higher   education following a break in enrollment from the institution or   another institution of higher education covering the 24-month   period preceding the first class day of the initial semester or   other academic term of the student's reenrollment; and                      (B)  successfully completed at least 50 semester   credit hours of course work at an institution of higher education   before that break in enrollment.          SECTION 4.  (a)  The Texas Higher Education Coordinating   Board shall adopt the rules required by Section 51.907(e-1),   Education Code, as added by this Act, not later than June 1, 2018.          (b)  The change in law made by this Act to Section 51.907,   Education Code, applies beginning with the 2018 fall semester.          SECTION 5.  The changes in law made by this Act to Sections   61.059 and 61.0595, Education Code, apply beginning with funding   recommendations made under Section 61.059, Education Code, for the   state fiscal biennium beginning September 1, 2019.          SECTION 6.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2017.