SB 2054

relating to the authorization for and approval of certain nursing
programs offered by private postsecondary educational institutions
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1.  Section 61.302, Education Code, is amended by
adding Subdivisions (12) and (13) to read as follows:
(12)  "Professional degree" includes a Doctor of
Medicine (M.D.), Doctor of Osteopathy (D.O.), Doctor of Dental
Surgery (D.D.S.), Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (D.V.M.), Juris
Doctor (J.D.), and Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.).
(13)  “Nursing program” means a program preparing a
student for licensure as a licensed vocational nurse or a program
leading to an Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN), a Bachelor of
Science in Nursing (BSN), a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN), or a
Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP).
SECTION 2.  Section 61.303, Education Code, is amended by
amending Subsection (c-1) and adding Subsection (c-2) to read as
(c-1)  The board may not approve the issuance of a
certificate of authorization for an exempt institution to grant a
professional degree or to represent that credits earned in this
state are applicable toward a professional degree except to the
extent allowed for an authorized institution operating under a
State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement (SARA). [In this
subsection, "professional degree" includes Doctor of Medicine
(M.D.), Doctor of Osteopathy (D.O.), Doctor of Dental Surgery
(D.D.S.), Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (D.V.M.), Juris Doctor
(J.D.), and Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.).]
(c-2)  The board may not approve the issuance of a
certificate of authorization for an exempt institution to offer a
nursing program or grant a nursing degree or to represent that
credits earned in a nursing program in this state are applicable
toward a nursing degree except to the extent:
(1)  allowed for an authorized institution operating
under a State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement (SARA); or
(2)  determined necessary by the board.
SECTION 3.  Section 61.306(c-1), Education Code, is amended
(c-1)  The board may issue a certificate of authority for a
private postsecondary educational institution to grant a
professional degree, to offer a nursing program or grant a nursing
degree, or to represent that credits earned in this state are
applicable toward a professional or nursing degree only if the
(1)  the capacity and ability of similar [professional
degree] programs at institutions of higher education and private or
independent institutions of higher education are insufficient to
meet the state's current market needs;
(2)  the institution seeking the certificate of
(A)  has the necessary faculty and other resources
(B)  is subject to and agrees to meet the same
standards for approval and all academic criteria applicable to
similar [professional degree] programs offered by institutions of
higher education and private or independent institutions of higher
(3)  sufficient placements are available to students
for required field-based experience, such as clinicals or
clerkships, for the proposed program or [professional] degree.
SECTION 4.  Section 61.306(d), Education Code, is repealed.
SECTION 5.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.