S.B. 86 78(R)    BILL ANALYSIS


S.B. 86
By: Wentworth
Higher Education
Committee Report (Unamended)



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

Currently, the top ten percent of each high school graduating class
receives automatic admission to a public college or university. There is
no requirement, however, that those high school graduates take the
recommended high school curriculum, which would better prepare them for
success in college. C.S.S.B. 86 would require high school students to
take, at a minimum, the recommended high school curriculum to be eligible
for automatic admission to a public college or university. 


RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the committee's opinion that rulemaking authority is expressly
granted to the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board in SECTION 1
(Section 51.807, Education Code) of this bill. 

ANALYSIS

SECTION 1. Amends Sections 51.803 and 51.807, Education Code, as follows:

Sec. 51.803. AUTOMATIC ADMISSION: ALL INSTITUTIONS. 

(a) Requires each general academic teaching institution to admit as an
undergraduate, an applicant who in addition to the other requirements of
this section, completed the curriculum requirements established under
Section 28.025 (High School Diploma and Certificate; Academic Achievement
Record) for therecommended or advanced high school program or an
equivalent curriculum at a high school to which that section does not
apply, and who, if the applicant graduated from a high schooloperated by
the United States Department of Defense, is a Texas resident under Section
54.052 or is 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. Deletes language regarding an application for admission under
this section.  

(b) Requires an applicant to submit an application before the expiration
of any application filing deadline established by the institution, in
order to qualify for admission under this section. 

(c) Re-letters existing Subsection (b) as Subsection (c).

(d) Provides that Subsection (a) (2) applies beginning with admissions for
the 2007- 2008 academic year. Provides that Subsection (a) (2) does not
apply to an applicant who graduated from a public high school that does
not offer the curriculum established under Section 28.025 for the
recommended or advanced high school program and that has received a waiver
of those curriculum requirements from the Texas Education Agency due to an
inability to offer or make available that curriculum.  

(e) Provides that an applicant who does not satisfy the requirements of
Subsection (a)(2) is considered to have satisfied those requirements if
the high school from which the student graduated indicates on the
student's transcript that the student was unable to complete the
appropriate curriculum solely because necessary courses were unavailable
to the student at the appropriate times in the student's high school
career as a result of course scheduling, lack of enrollment capacity, or
another cause not within the student's control. 
 
Sec. 51.807. RULEMAKING. 

(a) Creates this subsection from existing text.

(b) Requires the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, after
consulting with the Texas Education Agency, by rule to establish standards
for making certain determinations for purposes of this subchapter. 

SECTION 2. Amends Section 28.025, Education Code, by adding Subsections
(g) and (g-1), as follows: 

(g) Provides that if a student, other than a student permitted to take
courses under the minimum high school program as provided by Subsection
(b), is unable to complete the recommended or advanced high school program
solely because necessary courses were  

EFFECTIVE DATE

This Act takes effect September 1, 2003.