By Burnam                                              H.B. No. 198
         76R747 JSA-D                           
                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-1                                   AN ACT
 1-2     relating to the consideration of certain matters in admissions to
 1-3     public institutions of higher education.
 1-4           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 1-5           SECTION 1.  Subchapter Z, Chapter 51, Education Code, is
 1-6     amended by adding Section 51.9246 to read as follows:
 1-7           Sec. 51.9246.  CONSIDERATION OF CERTAIN MATTERS IN
 1-8     ADMISSIONS.  (a)  An institution of higher education, in making a
 1-9     decision relating to the admission of an applicant to the
1-10     institution or to a college, school, or degree program, including a
1-11     graduate or professional school, may not consider whether the
1-12     applicant:
1-13                 (1)  is related by consanguinity or affinity to another
1-14     person who attends or has attended the institution or a college,
1-15     school, or program of the institution; or
1-16                 (2)  has made a donation to the institution or is
1-17     related by consanguinity or affinity to another person who has made
1-18     a donation to the institution.
1-19           (b)  Each institution of higher education shall adopt and
1-20     implement policies to inform each person acting on its behalf in
1-21     the admissions process of the provisions of this section.
1-22           (c)  In this section, "institution of higher education" has
1-23     the meaning assigned by Section 61.003.
1-24           SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1999, and
 2-1     applies to admissions for academic years beginning with the
 2-2     academic year that begins in the fall 2000 semester.
 2-3           SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the
 2-4     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
 2-5     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
 2-6     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
 2-7     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.