By Garcia H.B. No. 3124 77R7961 JSA-D A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1-1 AN ACT 1-2 relating to the consideration of certain tests and assessment 1-3 instruments in admissions to public institutions of higher 1-4 education. 1-5 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-6 SECTION 1. Subchapter U, Chapter 51, Education Code, is 1-7 amended by adding Section 51.810 to read as follows: 1-8 Sec. 51.810. CONSIDERATION OF CERTAIN ADMISSION TESTS. (a) 1-9 In this section, "admission test" means a test or assessment 1-10 instrument designed or administered primarily to provide 1-11 institutions of higher education with information to be used in 1-12 considering applicants for admission to institutions of higher 1-13 education or to specific types of degree programs or professional 1-14 schools. The term includes all or a portion of the Scholastic 1-15 Assessment Test (SAT), American College Test (ACT), Graduate Record 1-16 Examinations (GRE), Graduate Management Admissions Test (GMAT), Law 1-17 School Admissions Test (LSAT), or Medical College Admission Test 1-18 (MCAT). 1-19 (b) A general academic teaching institution or medical and 1-20 dental unit that offers admissions to a baccalaureate, graduate, 1-21 postgraduate, or professional degree program or to a professional 1-22 school, including admissions by transfer from another institution 1-23 or program, may not: 1-24 (1) count or include an applicant's performance or 2-1 score on an admission test in any index or formula for ranking 2-2 applicants or for determining whether an applicant is eligible for 2-3 admission in a manner in which the applicant's score or performance 2-4 accounts for more than 20 percent of the applicant's total score on 2-5 the index or formula; 2-6 (2) exclude any applicant from consideration for 2-7 admission based solely on the applicant's performance or score on 2-8 an admission test; or 2-9 (3) consider an applicant's performance or score on an 2-10 admission test without considering all other relevant factors 2-11 available from the application and accompanying materials that 2-12 relate to the applicant's academic aptitude, skills, and 2-13 achievements. 2-14 SECTION 2. The change in law made by this Act applies to 2-15 admissions to any semester or other academic term that begins on or 2-16 after January 1, 2002. 2-17 SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives 2-18 a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as 2-19 provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this 2-20 Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this 2-21 Act takes effect September 1, 2001.