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.