What is HB 2504/TEC 51.974?

During the 2009 legislative session, the Texas Legislature passed a bill designated HB 2504 that mandated all public institutions of higher education in the state of Texas to make available to the public certain information concerning undergraduate academic programs. These statutory provisions are now included in Section 51.974 of the Texas Education Code.

Texas Education Code, Section 51.974 mandates that certain information, including course syllabi, instructor-of-record CVs and (if available) department budget reports, must be readily accessible on the institution’s website (specifically no more than three clicks from the main web-page and without password protection). The effective date to comply with certain requirements of the bill is August 31, 2010.

In June 2009, the UH System Senior Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs constituted a system-wide faculty-driven task force to address implementation of certain elements of Texas House Bill 2504. The task force issued a final report on May 28, 2010, detailing its recommendations for implementation and the progress made towards implementation.