Shown verbatim: the complete text as captured from the official page posted by the Texas Legislature, fetched 2026-08-29. Where this bill amends existing law, language marked for deletion in the official page appears here in brackets. This is the enrolled version. The official bill page.
S.B. No. 365 AN ACT relating to the period for which an applicant for admission as an undergraduate student to a public institution of higher education is entitled to an academic fresh start. BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: SECTION 1. Section 51.931, Education Code, is amended by adding Subsections (c-1) and (c-2) to read as follows: (c-1) In considering an applicant for admission under this section, a public institution of higher education may choose to disregard academic course credits or grades earned by the applicant more recently than 10 years before the starting date of the semester in which the applicant seeks to enroll, except the institution may not disregard any credits or grades earned during the five-year period preceding that date. An institution that chooses to disregard course credits or grades earned during the additional period permitted by this subsection must disregard all course credits or grades earned during that period and may not award any credit for those courses. (c-2) Each public institution of higher education shall adopt, post on the institution's Internet website, and submit to the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board a policy regarding the admissions made by the institution under this section, including the period for which an applicant's course credits or grades will be considered by the institution under the policy. SECTION 2. Section 61.0595(c), Education Code, is amended to read as follows: (c) For a student enrolled in a baccalaureate program under Section 51.931, semester credit hours that were earned by the student [10 or more years] before the date the student began [begins] the new degree program under Section 51.931 and that were disregarded under institution policy as described by that section are not counted for purposes of determining whether the student has previously earned the number of semester credit hours specified by Subsection (a). SECTION 3. Section 51.931, Education Code, as amended by this Act, applies beginning with admissions to a public institution of higher education for the 2025 fall semester. SECTION 4. Section 61.0595(c), Education Code, as amended by this Act, applies beginning with funding recommendations made under Section 61.059, Education Code, for the state fiscal biennium beginning September 1, 2025, for semester credit hours earned by students enrolling in a baccalaureate degree program at a public institution of higher education under Section 51.931, Education Code, as amended by this Act, for the 2025 fall semester or a subsequent semester or term. Funding recommendations for semester credit hours earned by a student who enrolled in a baccalaureate degree program at a public institution of higher education under Section 51.931, Education Code, as amended by this Act, before the 2025 fall semester are governed by the law in effect immediately before the effective date of this Act, and the former law is continued in effect for that purpose. 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, 2025. ______________________________ ______________________________ President of the Senate Speaker of the House I hereby certify that S.B. No. 365 passed the Senate on April 10, 2025, by the following vote: Yeas 29, Nays 1. ______________________________ Secretary of the Senate I hereby certify that S.B. No. 365 passed the House on April 23, 2025, by the following vote: Yeas 137, Nays 4, one present not voting. ______________________________ Chief Clerk of the House Approved: ______________________________ Date ______________________________ Governor
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