Sec. 130.308. SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS FOR NURSING DEGREE PROGRAM. (a) In determining whether a public junior college may offer a baccalaureate degree program in nursing, the coordinating board shall:

(1) require a public junior college to provide evidence to the coordinating board and the Texas Board of Nursing that the public junior college has secured adequate long-term clinical space;

(2) obtain a letter from each clinical site provided indicating that the clinical site has not refused a similar request from a general academic teaching institution or medical and dental unit; and

(3) establish that the corresponding associate degree program offered by the public junior college has been successful as indicated by job placement rates and licensing exam scores.

(b) A baccalaureate degree program offered under this subchapter by a public junior college in the field of nursing must:

(1) be a bachelor of science degree program;

(2) meet the standards and criteria the Texas Board of Nursing uses to approve pre-licensure degree programs at general academic teaching institutions and medical and dental units regardless of whether the program is a pre-licensure or post-licensure program; and

(3) be accredited by a national nursing accrediting body recognized by the United States Department of Education.

(c) A public junior college offering a baccalaureate degree program in the field of nursing under this subchapter must demonstrate to the coordinating board that it will maintain or exceed the enrollment available to nursing students enrolled in an associate degree program at the public junior college in the 2016-2017 academic year and must continue to maintain or exceed that level of enrollment in the corresponding associate degree program until the 2021-2022 academic year. This subsection expires January 1, 2023.

Added by Acts 2017, 85th Leg., R.S., Ch. 766 (S.B. 2118), Sec. 9, eff. June 12, 2017.