1-1 By: Bivins S.B. No. 150 1-2 (In the Senate - Filed December 17, 1996; January 14, 1997, 1-3 read first time and referred to Committee on Education; 1-4 February 19, 1997, reported adversely, with favorable Committee 1-5 Substitute by the following vote: Yeas 10, Nays 1; 1-6 February 19, 1997, sent to printer.) 1-7 COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR S.B. No. 150 By: Bivins 1-8 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1-9 AN ACT 1-10 relating to providing common undergraduate admission application 1-11 forms for certain institutions of higher education. 1-12 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-13 SECTION 1. Chapter 51, Education Code, is amended by adding 1-14 Subchapter S to read as follows: 1-15 SUBCHAPTER S. ADMISSION APPLICATION FORMS 1-16 Sec. 51.761. DEFINITIONS. In this subchapter, "board," 1-17 "general academic teaching institution," "governing board," 1-18 "institution of higher education," and "university system" have the 1-19 meanings assigned by Section 61.003 of this code. 1-20 Sec. 51.762. COMMON ADMISSION APPLICATION FORMS. (a) The 1-21 board, with the assistance of an advisory committee composed of 1-22 representatives of general academic teaching institutions and with 1-23 the consultation of all affected general academic teaching 1-24 institutions, shall adopt by rule a common admission application 1-25 form for use by a person seeking admission as a freshman student to 1-26 a general academic teaching institution. In addition to 1-27 information required to determine the residency status of the 1-28 applicant and information relating to the use of the form at each 1-29 institution, the board shall include on the form information that 1-30 the board considers appropriate. 1-31 (b) The board, with the assistance of an advisory committee 1-32 composed of representatives of general academic teaching 1-33 institutions and with the consultation of all affected general 1-34 academic teaching institutions, may adopt by rule a common 1-35 admission application form for use by a person seeking admission as 1-36 an undergraduate transfer student to a general academic teaching 1-37 institution. In addition to information required to determine the 1-38 residency status of the applicant and information relating to the 1-39 use of the form at each institution, the board shall include on the 1-40 form information that the board considers appropriate. 1-41 (c) The board shall publicize the availability of a form 1-42 adopted under this section in both electronic and printed formats. 1-43 (d) The board shall ensure that copies of the freshman 1-44 common admission application form and information for its use are 1-45 available for distribution to the appropriate personnel at each 1-46 public high school in this state. 1-47 (e) The board shall make a form adopted under this section 1-48 available to the public electronically by the Internet or other 1-49 commonly used telecommunications media and may contract with an 1-50 institution of higher education or other provider to satisfy this 1-51 requirement. 1-52 (f) An applicant may file, and each general academic 1-53 teaching institution shall accept, a freshman or undergraduate 1-54 transfer application using a form adopted under this section. The 1-55 form used may be in either an electronic or printed format. A 1-56 general academic teaching institution is not prohibited from 1-57 requiring an applicant to submit additional information within a 1-58 reasonable time after the institution has received an application 1-59 using a form adopted under this section. 1-60 (g) In addition to other information considered appropriate 1-61 by the board, the board shall by rule require each institution to 1-62 collect information regarding gender, ethnicity, and date of birth 1-63 as part of the application process and report this information to 1-64 the board. 2-1 Sec. 51.763. ELECTRONIC ADMISSION APPLICATION FORM FOR 2-2 UNIVERSITY SYSTEMS. (a) The governing board of a university 2-3 system shall adopt a common admission application form consistent 2-4 with this subchapter to be used by any person seeking freshman or 2-5 undergraduate transfer admission to one or more of the general 2-6 academic teaching institutions within the university system. 2-7 (b) The form shall allow each applicant to: 2-8 (1) apply electronically to one or more of the general 2-9 academic teaching institutions within the university system; and 2-10 (2) indicate preferences for admission between those 2-11 institutions. 2-12 (c) A general academic teaching institution is not 2-13 prohibited from requiring an applicant to submit additional 2-14 information within a reasonable time after the institution has 2-15 received an application under this section. 2-16 Sec. 51.764. FEES. This subchapter does not affect the 2-17 authority of an institution of higher education to receive a 2-18 reasonable fee for the filing of an application for admission. 2-19 SECTION 2. The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board 2-20 shall adopt a common freshman admission application form under 2-21 Section 51.762, Education Code, as added by this Act, no later than 2-22 September 1, 1998. A general academic teaching institution must 2-23 accept freshman applications using the common admission application 2-24 form beginning with applicants for admission for the 1999-2000 2-25 academic year. A university system must accept freshman and 2-26 undergraduate transfer applications using the electronic admission 2-27 application form beginning with applicants for admission for the 2-28 1999-2000 academic year. 2-29 SECTION 3. The importance of this legislation and the 2-30 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an 2-31 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the 2-32 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several 2-33 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended, 2-34 and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its 2-35 passage, and it is so enacted. 2-36 * * * * *