By: Denton H.B. No. 1165 73R4477 SOS-D A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1-1 AN ACT 1-2 relating to the testing of certain deaf or blind students enrolled 1-3 at institutions of higher education. 1-4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-5 SECTION 1. Section 51.306, Education Code, is amended by 1-6 adding Subsection (l) to read as follows: 1-7 (l) An institution may not require a deaf or blind student 1-8 to take the test required by this section as a condition for 1-9 enrollment in an upper division course or require a deaf or blind 1-10 student to participate in a remediation program as a result of the 1-11 test. This subsection expires September 1, 1993. 1-12 SECTION 2. Effective September 1, 1993, Section 51.306, 1-13 Education Code, is amended by adding Subsections (n) and (o) to 1-14 read as follows: 1-15 (n) This section applies to a blind student only if the test 1-16 is administered to that student in large-print or braille or is 1-17 administered by audio cassette, as appropriate to that student. 1-18 (o) This section does not apply to a deaf student. 1-19 SECTION 3. Subchapter F, Chapter 51, Education Code, is 1-20 amended by adding Section 51.3061 to read as follows: 1-21 Sec. 51.3061. TESTING AND REMEDIAL COURSEWORK FOR DEAF 1-22 STUDENTS. (a) In this section: 1-23 (1) "Deaf student" means a student who is a deaf 1-24 person, as defined by Section 54.205(a) of this code. 2-1 (2) "Institution of higher education" has the meaning 2-2 assigned by Section 61.003 of this code. 2-3 (b) A deaf student who enrolls at an institution of higher 2-4 education must take the Stanford Achievement Test, nationally 2-5 normed on the hearing-impaired population by Gallaudet University, 2-6 if the student: 2-7 (1) is a full-time or part-time freshman enrolled in a 2-8 certificate or degree program that contains the equivalent of nine 2-9 or more semester credit hours of general education courses; or 2-10 (2) is a transfer student from an institution that is 2-11 not an institution of higher education, has less than 60 semester 2-12 credit hours, and has not previously taken the test required by 2-13 this section. 2-14 (c) The Central Education Agency shall administer the test. 2-15 (d) A deaf testing committee is established to determine 2-16 required performance standards on the test and to determine 2-17 required remedial coursework for students who fail the test. 2-18 (e) The deaf testing committee consists of the following 2-19 seven members: 2-20 (1) a person appointed by the Central Education 2-21 Agency's testing and evaluation division; 2-22 (2) a person appointed by the Central Education 2-23 Agency's office on deaf education; 2-24 (3) an administrator of the deaf student services 2-25 program of the Texas State Technical College System; 2-26 (4) a vice-president of the Southwest Collegiate 2-27 Institute for the Deaf; 3-1 (5) a person appointed by Eastfield College's deaf 3-2 support services program; 3-3 (6) a person appointed by Houston Community College's 3-4 deaf support services program; and 3-5 (7) a person appointed by Eastfield College's 3-6 Gallaudet extension program. 3-7 SECTION 4. Notwithstanding Section 51.3061, Education Code, 3-8 as added by this Act, deaf students who enroll at institutions of 3-9 higher education are required to take the test prescribed by that 3-10 section beginning with the fall semester in 1995. 3-11 SECTION 5. Not later than May 1, 1995, the deaf testing 3-12 committee established under Section 51.3061, Education Code, as 3-13 added by this Act, shall establish performance standards for the 3-14 test required under that section and shall establish remedial 3-15 coursework requirements for students who fail the test. 3-16 SECTION 6. Except as provided by Section 2 of this Act, this 3-17 Act takes effect immediately. 3-18 SECTION 7. The importance of this legislation and the 3-19 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an 3-20 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the 3-21 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several 3-22 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended, 3-23 and that this Act take effect and be in force according to its 3-24 terms, and it is so enacted.