STUDY ON DUAL CREDIT OR DUAL ENROLLMENT COURSE SEQUENCES AND WORKFORCE CAPACITY.

(a) The coordinating board shall conduct a study to assess the feasibility and the fiscal and policy implications, including the fiscal impact to the state, of decreasing the number of semester credit hours or the equivalent for a sequence of dual credit or dual enrollment courses for purposes of performance tier funding under Section 130A.101(c)(3) to nine semester credit hours or the equivalent.

(b) In conducting the study, the coordinating board shall assess:

(1) the potential benefit to students of taking the action described by Subsection (a), including:

(A) alignment with the public school accountability system under Chapter 39;

(B) any reduction in the time to graduate with or the cost for an undergraduate degree at an institution of higher education; and

(C) a comparison of matriculation and completion rates for students who complete a sequence of 9 semester credit hours or the equivalent for dual credit or dual enrollment courses versus a sequence of 15 semester credit hours or the equivalent for those courses; and

(2) the current and projected capacity of the state's workforce to teach dual credit or dual enrollment courses, including:

(A) an estimate of the number of instructors currently eligible to teach dual credit or dual enrollment courses and the geographic distribution of those instructors;

(B) an analysis of barriers to certification or credentialing in teaching dual credit or dual enrollment courses; and

(C) strategies to increase the number of instructors eligible to teach dual credit or dual enrollment courses, including:

(i) professional development pathways;

(ii) partnerships with institutions of higher education, as defined by Section 61.003; and

(iii) targeted financial or academic support programs.

(c) The coordinating board may consult with the Texas Education Agency and institutions of higher education in conducting the study.

(d) Not later than December 1, 2026, the coordinating board shall submit to the legislature a report on the results of the study conducted under this section and any recommendations for legislative or other action, including recommendations for actions to support an expanded workforce of dual credit or dual enrollment instructors.

(e) This section expires September 1, 2027.