By Truan                                               S.B. No. 158
         77R1493 ESH-D                           
                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-1                                   AN ACT
 1-2     relating to counseling public school students regarding higher
 1-3     education.
 1-4           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 1-5           SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 33, Education Code, is
 1-6     amended by adding Section 33.007 to read as follows:
 1-7           Sec. 33.007.  COUNSELING REGARDING HIGHER EDUCATION. (a)
 1-8     Each elementary, middle, or junior high school counselor shall
 1-9     advise students and their parents or guardians regarding the
1-10     importance of higher education, coursework designed to prepare
1-11     students for higher education, and financial aid availability and
1-12     requirements.
1-13           (b)  During the first school year a student is enrolled in a
1-14     high school, and again during a student's senior year of high
1-15     school, a high school counselor shall provide information about
1-16     higher education to the student and the student's parent or
1-17     guardian. The information must include information regarding:
1-18                 (1)  the importance of higher education;
1-19                 (2)  the advantages of completing the recommended or
1-20     advanced high school program adopted under Section 28.025(a);
1-21                 (3)  financial aid eligibility;
1-22                 (4)  instruction on how to apply for federal financial
1-23     aid;
1-24                 (5)  the center for financial aid information
 2-1     established under Section 61.0776;
 2-2                 (6)  the automatic admission of certain students to
 2-3     general academic teaching institutions as provided by Section
 2-4     51.803; and
 2-5                 (7)  the eligibility and academic performance
 2-6     requirements for the TEXAS Grant as provided by Subchapter M,
 2-7     Chapter 56, as added by Chapter 1590, Acts of the 76th Legislature,
 2-8     Regular Session, 1999.
 2-9           SECTION 2. Section 33.001, Education Code, is amended to read
2-10     as follows:
2-11           Sec. 33.001.  APPLICABILITY OF SUBCHAPTER. This subchapter
2-12     applies only to a school district that receives funds as provided
2-13     by Section 42.152(i), except that Section 33.007 applies to all
2-14     school districts.
2-15           SECTION 3. Section 33.007, Education Code, as added by this
2-16     Act, applies beginning with the 2001-2002 school year.  The
2-17     commissioner of education shall adopt rules regarding the provision
2-18     of counseling regarding higher education as required by Section
2-19     33.007(b), Education Code, as added by this Act, to high school
2-20     students other than those for whom the 2001-2002 school year is the
2-21     first or senior year of high school.
2-22           SECTION 4. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives a
2-23     vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
2-24     provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution.  If this
2-25     Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
2-26     Act takes effect September 1, 2001.