By Maxey                                         H.B. No. 597

      75R4003 CAG-D                           

                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

 1-1                                   AN ACT

 1-2     relating to admission policies at certain public institutions of

 1-3     higher education.

 1-4           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

 1-5           SECTION 1.  Chapter 51, Education Code, is amended by adding

 1-6     Subchapter S to read as follows:

 1-7                      SUBCHAPTER S.  ADMISSION POLICIES

 1-8           Sec. 51.801.  DEFINITIONS.  In this subchapter, "general

 1-9     academic teaching institution" and "medical and dental unit" have

1-10     the meanings assigned by Section 61.003.

1-11           Sec. 51.802.  ADMISSIONS POLICY.  (a)  A general academic

1-12     teaching institution or medical and dental unit shall admit

1-13     students for each term or semester and for any program offered by

1-14     the institution or unit as required by this subchapter.

1-15           (b)  Not later than one year before the date that

1-16     applications for admission to a particular term or semester are

1-17     first considered, each general academic teaching institution or

1-18     medical and dental unit shall publish a description of the factors

1-19     to be considered by the institution or unit in admitting a student

1-20     to the institution or unit for that term or semester.  The

1-21     description shall include the weight given to each factor in the

1-22     admissions determination.

1-23           (c)  A general academic teaching institution or medical or

1-24     dental unit may not consider the following factors:

 2-1                 (1)  whether the applicant is related to a graduate of

 2-2     the institution or unit;

 2-3                 (2)  whether the applicant is related to a public

 2-4     official;

 2-5                 (3)  whether the applicant is related to a person who

 2-6     has given money or property to the institution or unit; or

 2-7                 (4)  whether a public official or a person who has

 2-8     given money to the institution has requested or suggested that the

 2-9     institution or unit admit the applicant.

2-10           SECTION 2.  (a)  The change in law made by this Act applies

2-11     beginning with admissions for the 1998 fall semester.

2-12           (b)  Each general academic teaching institution and each

2-13     medical and dental unit shall adopt a written policy relating to

2-14     the admission of applicants to the 1998 fall semester under

2-15     Subchapter S, Chapter 51, Education Code, as added by this Act, not

2-16     later than January 1, 1998.

2-17           SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the

2-18     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

2-19     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

2-20     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

2-21     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.