By: Bivins S.B. No. 1324
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
1-1 relating to a qualified exemption of certain students from the
1-2 Texas academic skills program.
1-3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-4 SECTION 1. Section 51.306, Education Code, is amended by
1-5 amending Subsection (b) and adding Subsection (n) to read as
1-6 follows:
1-7 (b) Except as provided by Subsections (m) and (n) of this
1-8 section, all <All> students in the following categories who enter
1-9 public institutions of higher education <in the fall of 1989 and
1-10 thereafter> must be tested for reading, writing, and mathematics
1-11 skills:
1-12 (1) all full-time and part-time freshmen enrolled in a
1-13 certificate or degree program;
1-14 (2) any other student, prior to the accumulation of
1-15 nine or more semester credit hours or the equivalent; and
1-16 (3) any transfer student with fewer than 60 semester
1-17 credit hours or the equivalent who has not previously taken the
1-18 tests.
1-19 For that purpose, the institution shall use a test instrument
1-20 prescribed by the board. The same instrument shall be used at all
1-21 public institutions of higher education.
1-22 (n) This section does not apply to a student who is exempted
1-23 by this subsection or has previously qualified for an exemption
1-24 under this subsection. A student is exempt if the student:
2-1 (1) has scores that are at least in the 80th
2-2 percentile, or a higher percentile established by Texas Higher
2-3 Education Coordinating Board rule, on:
2-4 (A) the math, writing, and reading sections of
2-5 the American College Test or the test described by Section
2-6 21.551(a) of this code; or
2-7 (B) the verbal and math sections of the
2-8 Scholastic Assessment Test; and
2-9 (2) enrolls at an institution of higher education not
2-10 later than the fifth anniversary of the date the student took the
2-11 test on which the student received the scores described by this
2-12 subsection.
2-13 SECTION 2. The change in law made by this Act to Section
2-14 51.306, Education Code, applies beginning with the fall semester in
2-15 1993.
2-16 SECTION 3. The importance of this legislation and the
2-17 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
2-18 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
2-19 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
2-20 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,
2-21 and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its
2-22 passage, and it is so enacted.