By Garcia                                       H.B. No. 2890

      75R8824 JSA-D                           

                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

 1-1                                   AN ACT

 1-2     relating to admission policies for certain institutions of higher

 1-3     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.  ADMISSIONS

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

 1-9     academic teaching institution" has the meaning assigned by Section

1-10     61.003.

1-11           Sec. 51.802.  AUTOMATIC ADMISSION.  (a)  Each general

1-12     academic teaching institution shall admit an applicant for

1-13     admission to the institution as an undergraduate student if the

1-14     applicant graduates from a public or private high school in this

1-15     state accredited by a generally recognized accrediting organization

1-16     with a grade-point average in the top 10 percent of the applicant's

1-17     high school graduating class.

1-18           (b)  If the number of applicants entitled to automatic

1-19     admission under Subsection (a) seeking admission to a general

1-20     academic teaching institution exceeds the available number of

1-21     spaces offered for enrollment at the institution for any semester:

1-22                 (1)  the institution shall conduct a lottery to award

1-23     the spaces to eligible applicants; and

1-24                 (2)  an eligible applicant not selected for admission

 2-1     may delay the applicant's admission to the institution until space

 2-2     is available.

 2-3           (c)  For purposes of this section, it is presumed that a high

 2-4     school student with a grade-point average in the top 10 percent of

 2-5     the student's high school class at the beginning of a semester in

 2-6     which the student is entitled to graduate will graduate with a

 2-7     grade-point average in the top 10 percent of the student's high

 2-8     school graduating class.  If the student does not graduate at the

 2-9     end of that semester, or fails to graduate with a grade-point

2-10     average in the top 10 percent of the student's graduating class,

2-11     the institution may, but is not required to, withdraw an offer of

2-12     admission to the student, even if the student has accepted the

2-13     offer.  An offer of admission to a student to whom the presumption

2-14     applies must indicate whether the offer may be withdrawn under this

2-15     subsection and that the student's acceptance of the offer is

2-16     conditioned on the student graduating at the end of that semester

2-17     as required by Subsection (a).

2-18           Sec. 51.803.  OPEN ADMISSIONS.  A general academic teaching

2-19     institution, after admitting students under Section 51.802, shall

2-20     admit all other applicants for admission as undergraduate students

2-21     who have graduated from an accredited high school or who have

2-22     earned the equivalent of a high school degree.  If the number of

2-23     eligible applicants exceeds the available number of spaces offered

2-24     for enrollment, the institution shall conduct a lottery to award

2-25     the spaces to eligible applicants.

2-26           SECTION 2.  (a)  The change in law made by this Act applies

2-27     beginning with admissions for the fall term or semester in 1998.

 3-1           (b)  Each general academic teaching institution shall adopt

 3-2     policies relating to the admission of students under Subchapter S,

 3-3     Chapter 51, Education Code, as added by this Act, not later than

 3-4     January 1, 1998.

 3-5           SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the

 3-6     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

 3-7     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

 3-8     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

 3-9     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.