SRC-MWN S.B. 974 77(R) BILL ANALYSIS Senate Research Center S.B. 974 77R7712 JSA-DBy: Wentworth Education 3/13/2001 As Filed DIGEST AND PURPOSE Currently, the top ten percent of each high school graduating class receives automatic admission to a public college or university, however, there is no requirement that those high school graduates take the recommended high school curriculum. As proposed, S.B. 974 requires high school students to take, at the minimum, the recommended high school curriculum to be eligible for automatic admission to a public college or university. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY Rulemaking authority is expressly granted to the Coordinating Board, Texas College and University System, or its successor (coordinating board) in SECTION 1 (Section 51.807, Education Code) of this bill. SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS SECTION 1. Amends Sections 51.803 and 51.807, Education Code, as follows: Sec. 51.803. AUTOMATIC ADMISSION: ALL INSTITUTIONS. Requires each general academic teaching institution to admit an applicant for admission to the institution as an undergraduate student if the applicant graduated with a grade point average in the top 10 percent of the student's high school graduating class in one of the two school years preceding the academic year for which the applicant is applying for admission and the applicant completed the recommended or advanced high school curriculum established under Section 28.002 or 28.025 or an equivalent curriculum at a high school to which those sections do not apply; and the applicant graduated from a high school operated by the United States Department of Defense, is, rather than must be, a Texas resident under Section 54.052 or is, rather than be, entitled to pay tuition fees at the rate provided for Texas residents under Section 54.058(d) for the term or semester to which admitted. Requires an applicant, to qualify for admission under this section, to submit an application before the expiration of any application filing deadline established by the institution. Deletes text regarding admission. Sec. 51.807. RULEMAKING. Requires the Coordinating board, Texas College or University System, or its successor (coordinating board) after consulting with the Texas Education Agency by rule to establish standards for determining certain factors. SECTION 2. Makes application of this Act prospective for the 2002-2003 academic year. SECTION 3. Effective date: upon passage or September 1, 2001.