By Maxey                                               H.B. No. 547
         76R1434 JSA-D                           
                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-1                                   AN ACT
 1-2     relating to the use of standardized test scores in making
 1-3     admissions determinations and in awarding scholarships and
 1-4     financial aid at institutions of higher education.
 1-5           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 1-6           SECTION 1.  Section 51.924, Education Code, is amended to
 1-7     read as follows:
 1-8           Sec. 51.924.  PROHIBITION ON REQUIRING STANDARDIZED
 1-9     ASSESSMENT INSTRUMENTS IN ADMISSIONS [USED FOR ADMISSION
1-10     STANDARDS].  An  institution of higher education may not require an
1-11     applicant for admission to the institution or to a degree program,
1-12     school, or college within the institution to report, submit, or
1-13     disclose the applicant's test score or other result from the
1-14     administration of a standardized assessment, achievement, or
1-15     admissions test, including any of the tests commonly known as the
1-16     PSAT, SAT, ACT, GRE, GMAT, MCAT, or LSAT.  [Each company or
1-17     organization that sponsors a college admissions testing program
1-18     shall annually report to the Central Education Agency  the
1-19     performance in the testing program of students in this state and
1-20     the program's state and national average standard score results.
1-21     The company or organization shall report the performance of
1-22     students by school district on the request of the Central Education
1-23     Agency.  In its determination of the admission of a student, an
1-24     institution of higher education may not use the student's results
 2-1     on an assessment instrument administered by an organization that
 2-2     fails to comply with this section.]
 2-3           SECTION 2.  Subchapter A, Chapter 56, Education Code, is
 2-4     amended by adding Section 56.004 to read as follows:
 2-5           Sec. 56.004.  PROHIBITION ON REQUIRING STANDARDIZED TEST
 2-6     RESULTS IN FINANCIAL AID DETERMINATIONS.  An institution of higher
 2-7     education, the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, or any
 2-8     person acting on behalf of an institution of higher education or
 2-9     the coordinating board relating to the award of a scholarship or
2-10     other financial aid to a student or applicant for financial aid may
2-11     not require the student or applicant to report, submit, or disclose
2-12     the student's or applicant's test score or other result from the
2-13     administration of a standardized assessment, achievement, or
2-14     admissions test, including any of the tests commonly known as the
2-15     PSAT, SAT, ACT, GRE, GMAT, MCAT, or LSAT.
2-16           SECTION 3.  This Act applies beginning with admissions or
2-17     awards of financial aid for the 2000 fall semester.
2-18           SECTION 4.  The importance of this legislation and the
2-19     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
2-20     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
2-21     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
2-22     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.