SRC-MWN H.B. 47 77(R) BILL ANALYSIS Senate Research Center H.B. 47 By: McClendon (Madla) Education 5/3/2001 Engrossed DIGEST AND PURPOSE Currently, Texas higher education institutions award fewer baccalaureate degrees, relative to the number of students enrolled, than both the national average and many of the most populous states. Although more than 400,000 Texans attend community or technical college, less than one-third of these students transfer to four-year public colleges or universities in Texas. Statistics show that students transferring from community or technical institutions are as likely, if not more likely, than other students to successfully complete a bachelor's degree. H.B. 47 establishes an incentive for community and technical college graduates to attend a four-year institution by requiring each general academic teaching institution to admit an applicant with a degree from a community college or technical institute in Texas, contingent upon the institution having space available for the admission of additional students, who meets certain requirements. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY Rulemaking authority is expressly granted to the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board and general academic teaching institutions in SECTION 3 of this bill. SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS SECTION 1. Amends Section 51.801, Education Code, as follows: Sec. 51.801. DEFINITIONS. Defines "public junior college." SECTION 2. Amends Chapter 51U, Education Code, by adding Section 51.8065, as follows: Sec. 51.8065. AUTOMATIC ADMISSION: UNDERGRADUATE TRANSFER STUDENTS. (a) Requires each academic teaching institution to admit an applicant for admission to the institution as an undergraduate transfer student if in the year preceding the academic year for which the applicant is applying for admission under this section the applicant meets certain conditions. (b) Requires an applicant to submit an application before the expiration of any application filing deadline established by the institution. (c) Authorizes the institution, after admitting an applicant under this section, to review the applicant's record and any other factor the institution considers appropriate to determine whether the applicant may require additional preparation for college-level work or would benefit from inclusion in a retention program. Authorizes the institution to require a student so identified to enroll during the summer immediately after the student is admitted under this section to participate in appropriate enrichment courses and orientation programs. Provides that this section does not prohibit a student who is not determined to need additional preparation for college-level work from enrolling, if the student chooses, during the summer immediately after the student is admitted under this section. (d) Provides that admission to a specific institution is contingent upon the institution having space available for admission of additional students. (e) Authorizes an institution to have requirements for admission to a particular program or school that exceed a 3.0 average. Requires admissions to a particular program or school within an institution to be based on the requirements of the institution. SECTION 3. (a) Provides that this Act takes effect immediately and applies beginning with admissions for the 2002 fall semester. (b) Requires the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board and each general academic teaching institution to adopt rules or policies relating to the admission of students not later than January 1, 2002.