HBA-JLV H.B. 1942 77(R)    BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 1942
By: Delisi
Higher Education
3/5/2001
Introduced



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

Currently, the spouse or dependent child of a member of the armed forces of
the United States who does not graduate high school in Texas is not
entitled to consideration for automatic admission to an institution of
higher education.  Even if such a military spouse or dependent child meets
all other requirements for top 10 percent automatic admission, they are
nonetheless not eligible for automatic admission.  House Bill 1942 provides
that a spouse or dependent child of a member of the armed forces of the
United States who graduates from high school outside Texas qualifies for
automatic admission to institutions of higher education under the top 10
percent rule and entitles those automatically admitted to pay tuition and
fees at the rate provided for Texas  residents. 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that this bill does
not expressly delegate any additional rulemaking authority to a state
officer, department, agency, or institution. 

ANALYSIS

House Bill 1942 amends the Education Code to provide that a spouse or
dependent child of a member of the armed forces of the United States who is
not assigned to duty in Texas but who has previously resided in Texas for a
12-month period is entitled to automatic admission to an institution of
higher education if the spouse or child graduated with a grade point
average in the top 10 percent of the person's high school graduating class.
The spouse or child must have graduated  in one of the two school years
preceding the academic year for which admission is being sought, and
graduated from a public or private high school in this state or in any
place that is accredited by a generally recognized accrediting organization
operated in the state or other jurisdiction where the high school is
located.  The bill also provides that those automatically admitted are
entitled to pay tuition and fees at the rate provided for Texas residents
for the academic year for which admission is being sought.  

EFFECTIVE DATE

On passage, or if the Act does not receive the necessary vote, the Act
takes effect September 1, 2001. The Act applies beginning with the fall
semester 2002.