(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.