| Vote Recommendation | Economic Freedom | Property Rights | Personal Responsibility | Limited Government | Individual Liberty |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Neutral | Neutral | Neutral | Neutral | Neutral | Neutral |
SB 1655 would amend code to allow the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) to collect fees from institutions that operate under certificates of authority in order to cover the costs of issuing, maintaining, and revising the certificates. THECB currently only collects fees from institutes that operate under certificates of authorization.
SB 1655 would also require THECB to maintain a student transcript respiratory for closed institutions and would be authorized to charge fees to students for maintaining their transcript.
The intent of this bill is to bring THECB's oversight of private higher education institutions up to date with modern forms of accreditation. The Education Code requires THECB to regulate private higher education institutions operating under a "certificate of authority" type of accreditation. Many such institutions now operate under a "certificate of authorization" form of accreditation.This legislation would allow THECB to regulate the latter as well as the former.
This legislation represents a technical update to existing regulatory authority and does not create a new regulatory regime that did not already exist. As such, SB 1655 does not affirm or abridge any of the principles of liberty and we remain neutral.