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78R2167 KSD-D

By:  Wilson                                                       H.B. No. 484



A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to automatic admission to graduate or professional degree 
programs at institutions of higher education.
	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:                        
	SECTION 1.  Subchapter U, Chapter 51, Education Code, is 
amended by adding Section 51.810 to read as follows:
	Sec. 51.810.  AUTOMATIC ADMISSION: GRADUATE OR PROFESSIONAL 
DEGREE PROGRAMS.  (a)  Each institution of higher education, as 
defined by Section 61.003, that offers a graduate or professional 
degree program shall admit to the degree program an applicant for 
admission to the program if the applicant graduates from an 
institution of higher education with a bachelor's degree and with a 
grade point average in the top 10 percent of the applicant's 
graduating class.
	(b) If the number of applicants entitled to automatic 
admission under Subsection (a) seeking admission to a graduate or 
professional degree program at an institution of higher education 
exceeds the available number of spaces offered for enrollment in 
the degree program for any semester:
		(1)  the institution shall conduct a lottery to award 
the spaces to eligible applicants; and
		(2)  an eligible applicant not selected for admission 
may delay the applicant's admission to the institution until space 
is available.
	(c)  For purposes of this section, it is presumed that an 
undergraduate student with a grade point average in the top 10 
percent of the student's class at the beginning of a semester in 
which the student is entitled to graduate will graduate with a grade 
point average in the top 10 percent of the student's graduating 
class.  If the student does not graduate at the end of that 
semester, or fails to graduate with a grade point average in the top 
10 percent of the student's graduating class, the institution of 
higher education that has admitted the student to a graduate or 
professional degree program under this section may, but is not 
required to, withdraw an offer of admission to the student, even if 
the student has accepted the offer.  An offer of admission to a 
student to whom the presumption applies must indicate whether the 
offer may be withdrawn under this subsection and that the student's 
acceptance of the offer is conditioned on the student graduating at 
the end of that semester as required by Subsection (a).
	SECTION 2.  (a)  The change in law made by this Act applies 
beginning with admissions for the 2004 fall semester.
	(b)  Each institution of higher education shall adopt 
policies relating to the admission of students under Section 
51.810, Education Code, as added by this Act, not later than January 
1, 2004.
	SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect immediately if it receives 
a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as 
provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution.  If this 
Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this 
Act takes effect September 1, 2003.