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.
_______________________________ _______________________________
President of the Senate Speaker of the House
I hereby certify that S.B. No. 150 passed the Senate on
March 4, 1997, by the following vote: Yeas 31, Nays 0.
_______________________________
Secretary of the Senate
I hereby certify that S.B. No. 150 passed the House on
April 11, 1997, by the following vote: Yeas 132, Nays 0, two
present not voting.
_______________________________
Chief Clerk of the House
Approved:
_______________________________
Date
_______________________________
Governor