1-1     By:  Barrientos, Zaffirini, West                      S.B. No. 1356
 1-2           (In the Senate - Filed March 11, 1999; March 15, 1999, read
 1-3     first time and referred to Committee on Education; May 3, 1999,
 1-4     reported adversely, with favorable Committee Substitute by the
 1-5     following vote:  Yeas 6, Nays 0; May 3, 1999, sent to printer.)
 1-6     COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR S.B. No. 1356               By:  Zaffirini
 1-7                            A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-8                                   AN ACT
 1-9     relating to providing certain students with an equal opportunity to
1-10     enroll in or receive a competitive scholarship for a graduate or
1-11     professional degree program.
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 V to read as follows:
1-15                  SUBCHAPTER V.  ADMISSION AND SCHOLARSHIP
1-16               POLICIES FOR GRADUATE AND PROFESSIONAL PROGRAMS
1-17           Sec. 51.821.  DEFINITIONS.  In this subchapter:
1-18                 (1)  "General academic teaching institution" and
1-19     "medical and dental unit" have the meanings assigned by Section
1-20     61.003.
1-21                 (2)  "Graduate program" means a degree program, as
1-22     defined by Section 61.003, to which a student may be admitted that
1-23     leads to a master's or doctoral degree.
1-24                 (3)  "Professional program" means a degree program, as
1-25     defined by Section 61.003, to which a student may be admitted that
1-26     leads to a degree required for licensure as an attorney, doctor of
1-27     medicine or osteopathy, dentist, architect, or pharmacist.
1-28           Sec. 51.822.  ADMISSION AND SCHOLARSHIP FACTORS FOR GRADUATE
1-29     AND PROFESSIONAL PROGRAMS.  (a)  In addition to any institutional,
1-30     unit, professional, or accreditation factors, a general academic
1-31     teaching institution or medical or dental unit shall consider all
1-32     of, any of, or a combination of the following factors in making an
1-33     admissions or scholarship decision for admissions into or
1-34     competitive scholarships for a graduate or professional program of
1-35     the institution or unit:
1-36                 (1)  an applicant's academic record as an undergraduate
1-37     student;
1-38                 (2)  an applicant's eligibility for need-based
1-39     financial aid as an undergraduate student;
1-40                 (3)  whether the applicant would be the first
1-41     generation of the applicant's family to attend or graduate from an
1-42     undergraduate program or from a graduate or professional program;
1-43                 (4)  whether the applicant has bilingual proficiency;
1-44                 (5)  the applicant's responsibilities as an
1-45     undergraduate student, including whether the applicant was
1-46     employed, whether the applicant helped to raise children, and other
1-47     similar responsibilities;
1-48                 (6)  the applicant's involvement in community
1-49     activities;
1-50                 (7)  the applicant's demonstrated commitment to a
1-51     particular field of study;
1-52                 (8)  for admission into a professional program, whether
1-53     the applicant attended secondary school in an area underserved by
1-54     that profession;
1-55                 (9)  the applicant's personal interview; and
1-56                 (10)  any other factor the institution or unit
1-57     considers necessary to accomplish the stated mission of the
1-58     institution or unit.
1-59           (b)  The applicant's performance on a standardized test may
1-60     not be used in the admissions or competitive scholarship process as
1-61     the sole criterion for consideration of the applicant.
1-62           (c)  Not later than one year before the date that
1-63     applications for admissions and competitive scholarships are first
1-64     considered for a graduate or professional program under this
 2-1     subchapter, each general academic teaching institution or medical
 2-2     and dental unit shall publish a description of the factors to be
 2-3     considered by the institution or unit in making those admissions
 2-4     and competitive scholarship decisions and shall make the
 2-5     information available to the public.
 2-6           (d)  The requirements of Subsection (c) do not apply to
 2-7     admissions and competitive scholarships for the 2000 fall semester.
 2-8     Each institution or unit covered by Subsection (c) shall make the
 2-9     required information available to the public and to applicants to
2-10     its graduate and professional programs not later than December 1,
2-11     1999, for the 2000 fall semester.  This subsection expires
2-12     September 1, 2000.
2-13           Sec. 51.823.  RULEMAKING.  The Texas Higher Education
2-14     Coordinating Board may adopt rules relating to the operation of
2-15     admissions and competitive scholarship processes under this
2-16     subchapter.
2-17           Sec. 51.824.  REPORT.  Each general academic teaching
2-18     institution or medical and dental unit shall report annually to the
2-19     Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board the demographic
2-20     composition of the entering class of students admitted and enrolled
2-21     under this subchapter, according to race, ethnicity, and gender.
2-22           SECTION 2.  (a)  The change in law made by this Act applies
2-23     beginning with admissions and competitive scholarships for the
2-24     2000-2001 academic year.
2-25           (b)  The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, each
2-26     general academic teaching institution, and each medical and dental
2-27     unit shall adopt rules or policies relating to the admission of
2-28     students and awarding of scholarships under Subchapter V, Chapter
2-29     51, Education Code, as added by this Act, not later than January 1,
2-30     2000.
2-31           SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the
2-32     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
2-33     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
2-34     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
2-35     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,
2-36     and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its
2-37     passage, and it is so enacted.
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