By Maxey H.B. No. 401 75R2868 JSA-D A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1-1 AN ACT 1-2 relating to providing a uniform undergraduate admission application 1-3 form for four-year public institutions of higher education. 1-4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-5 SECTION 1. Subchapter C, Chapter 61, Education Code, is 1-6 amended by adding Section 61.080 to read as follows: 1-7 Sec. 61.080. UNIFORM UNDERGRADUATE ADMISSION APPLICATION 1-8 FORM. (a) The board by rule shall adopt a uniform admission 1-9 application form for use by a person seeking admission as an 1-10 undergraduate student to a general academic teaching institution. 1-11 The board shall include on the form information relating to the use 1-12 of the form at each general academic teaching institution, such as 1-13 application filing deadlines, application fees, and additional 1-14 information required by particular institutions, that the board 1-15 considers appropriate. 1-16 (b) Before adopting a form or a revision to a form under 1-17 this section, the coordinating board shall consult with a 1-18 representative of each general academic teaching institution 1-19 assigned by the institution to advise the board under this section. 1-20 (c) The board shall publicize the availability of the form 1-21 and shall ensure that copies of the form and information for its 1-22 use are distributed to the appropriate personnel at each public 1-23 high school in this state. 1-24 (d) The board shall make the form available to the public 2-1 electronically by the Internet or other commonly used 2-2 telecommunications medium. 2-3 (e) Each general academic teaching institution shall accept 2-4 an undergraduate application using the form adopted under this 2-5 section. An applicant may use a legible photocopy of the form or a 2-6 copy of the form produced from the electronic version available 2-7 under Subsection (d). A general academic teaching institution is 2-8 not prohibited from adopting and using its own undergraduate 2-9 admission application form or from requiring an applicant to submit 2-10 additional information within a reasonable time after submitting an 2-11 application using the uniform admission application form. 2-12 SECTION 2. The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board 2-13 shall adopt a uniform undergraduate admission application form 2-14 under Section 61.080, Education Code, as added by this Act, not 2-15 later than January 1, 1998. A general academic teaching 2-16 institution must accept undergraduate applications using the 2-17 uniform admission application form beginning with applicants for 2-18 admission for the 1998-1999 academic year. 2-19 SECTION 3. The importance of this legislation and the 2-20 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an 2-21 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the 2-22 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several 2-23 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended, 2-24 and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its 2-25 passage, and it is so enacted.