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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the automatic admission of students with a |
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nontraditional secondary education to certain public institutions |
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of higher education. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 51.803, Education Code, is amended by |
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amending Subsection (a) and adding Subsection (m) to read as |
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follows: |
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(a) Subject to Subsection (a-1), each general academic |
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teaching institution shall admit an applicant for admission to the |
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institution as an undergraduate student if the applicant graduated |
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with a grade point average in the top 10 percent of the student's |
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high school graduating class in one of the two school years |
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preceding the academic year for which the applicant is applying for |
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admission and: |
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(1) the applicant: |
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(A) graduated from a public or private high |
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school in this state accredited by a generally recognized |
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accrediting organization or from a high school operated by the |
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United States Department of Defense; or |
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(B) completed a nontraditional secondary |
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education as defined by Section 51.9241; |
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(2) the applicant: |
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(A) successfully completed: |
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(i) at a public high school, the curriculum |
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requirements established under Section 28.025 for the |
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distinguished level of achievement under the foundation high school |
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program; or |
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(ii) at a high school to which Section |
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28.025 does not apply, a curriculum that is equivalent in content |
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and rigor to the distinguished level of achievement under the |
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foundation high school program; or |
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(B) satisfied ACT's College Readiness Benchmarks |
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on the ACT assessment applicable to the applicant or earned on the |
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SAT assessment a score of at least 1,500 out of 2,400 or the |
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equivalent; and |
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(3) if the applicant graduated from a high school |
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operated by the United States Department of Defense, the applicant |
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is a Texas resident under Section 54.052 or is entitled to pay |
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tuition fees at the rate provided for Texas residents under Section |
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54.241(d) for the term or semester to which admitted. |
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(m) In determining the eligibility for admission under this |
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section of an applicant with a nontraditional secondary education, |
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as defined by Section 51.9241, that does not include a high school |
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graduating class ranking, a general academic teaching institution |
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shall calculate the applicant's class rank in the manner provided |
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by Section 51.9241(d). |
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SECTION 2. The changes in law made by this Act apply |
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beginning with admissions to a public institution of higher |
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education for the 2024 fall semester. Admissions to a public |
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institution of higher education for a term or semester before the |
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2024 fall semester are governed by the law in effect immediately |
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before the effective date of this Act, and the former law is |
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continued in effect for that purpose. |
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SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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Act takes effect September 1, 2023. |