By: Bivins S.B. No. 150 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT 1-1 relating to providing common undergraduate admission application 1-2 forms for certain institutions of higher education. 1-3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-4 SECTION 1. Chapter 51, Education Code, is amended by adding 1-5 Subchapter S to read as follows: 1-6 SUBCHAPTER S. ADMISSION APPLICATION FORMS 1-7 Sec. 51.761. DEFINITIONS. In this subchapter, "board," 1-8 "general academic teaching institution," "governing board," 1-9 "institution of higher education," and "university system" have the 1-10 meanings assigned by Section 61.003 of this code. 1-11 Sec. 51.762. COMMON ADMISSION APPLICATION FORMS. (a) The 1-12 board, with the assistance of an advisory committee composed of 1-13 representatives of general academic teaching institutions and with 1-14 the consultation of all affected general academic teaching 1-15 institutions, shall adopt by rule a common admission application 1-16 form for use by a person seeking admission as a freshman student to 1-17 a general academic teaching institution. In addition to 1-18 information required to determine the residency status of the 1-19 applicant and information relating to the use of the form at each 1-20 institution, the board shall include on the form information that 1-21 the board considers appropriate. 1-22 (b) The board, with the assistance of an advisory committee 1-23 composed of representatives of general academic teaching 2-1 institutions and with the consultation of all affected general 2-2 academic teaching institutions, may adopt by rule a common 2-3 admission application form for use by a person seeking admission as 2-4 an undergraduate transfer student to a general academic teaching 2-5 institution. In addition to information required to determine the 2-6 residency status of the applicant and information relating to the 2-7 use of the form at each institution, the board shall include on the 2-8 form information that the board considers appropriate. 2-9 (c) The board shall publicize the availability of a form 2-10 adopted under this section in both electronic and printed formats. 2-11 (d) The board shall ensure that copies of the freshman 2-12 common admission application form and information for its use are 2-13 available for distribution to the appropriate personnel at each 2-14 public high school in this state. 2-15 (e) The board shall make a form adopted under this section 2-16 available to the public electronically by the Internet or other 2-17 commonly used telecommunications media and may contract with an 2-18 institution of higher education or other provider to satisfy this 2-19 requirement. 2-20 (f) An applicant may file, and each general academic 2-21 teaching institution shall accept, a freshman or undergraduate 2-22 transfer application using a form adopted under this section. The 2-23 form used may be in either an electronic or printed format. A 2-24 general academic teaching institution is not prohibited from 2-25 requiring an applicant to submit additional information within a 3-1 reasonable time after the institution has received an application 3-2 using a form adopted under this section. 3-3 (g) In addition to other information considered appropriate 3-4 by the board, the board shall by rule require each institution to 3-5 collect information regarding gender, ethnicity, and date of birth 3-6 as part of the application process and report this information to 3-7 the board. 3-8 Sec. 51.763. ELECTRONIC ADMISSION APPLICATION FORM FOR 3-9 UNIVERSITY SYSTEMS. (a) The governing board of a university 3-10 system shall adopt a common admission application form consistent 3-11 with this subchapter to be used by any person seeking freshman or 3-12 undergraduate transfer admission to one or more of the general 3-13 academic teaching institutions within the university system. 3-14 (b) The form shall allow each applicant to: 3-15 (1) apply electronically to one or more of the general 3-16 academic teaching institutions within the university system; and 3-17 (2) indicate preferences for admission between those 3-18 institutions. 3-19 (c) A general academic teaching institution is not 3-20 prohibited from requiring an applicant to submit additional 3-21 information within a reasonable time after the institution has 3-22 received an application under this section. 3-23 Sec. 51.764. FEES. This subchapter does not affect the 3-24 authority of an institution of higher education to receive a 3-25 reasonable fee for the filing of an application for admission. 4-1 SECTION 2. The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board 4-2 shall adopt a common freshman admission application form under 4-3 Section 51.762, Education Code, as added by this Act, no later than 4-4 September 1, 1998. A general academic teaching institution must 4-5 accept freshman applications using the common admission application 4-6 form beginning with applicants for admission for the 1999-2000 4-7 academic year. A university system must accept freshman and 4-8 undergraduate transfer applications using the electronic admission 4-9 application form beginning with applicants for admission for the 4-10 1999-2000 academic year. 4-11 SECTION 3. The importance of this legislation and the 4-12 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an 4-13 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the 4-14 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several 4-15 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended, 4-16 and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its 4-17 passage, and it is so enacted.