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79R4889 KEL-D

By:  Dutton                                                       H.B. No. 1443



A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to exempting certain general academic teaching 
institutions from the requirement that certain high school 
graduates be granted automatic admission.
	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:                        
	SECTION 1.  Section 51.803, Education Code, is amended by 
adding Subsections (c) and (d) to read as follows:
	(c)  This section does not apply to admissions by a general 
academic teaching institution for an academic year if the total 
percentage of students from underrepresented racial or ethnic 
groups enrolled as first-time freshman students at the institution 
during the preceding academic year equaled or exceeded the total 
percentage of students from underrepresented racial or ethnic 
groups listed for the fall semester of the preceding academic year 
on the roster of the National Collegiate Athletic Association 
football team fielded by the institution.  For purposes of this 
subsection, a student is from an underrepresented racial or ethnic 
group if the student identifies himself or herself as an African 
American student, a Mexican American student or a student of other 
Hispanic origin, or an American Indian, Eskimo, or Aleutian 
student.
	(d)  Each general academic teaching institution shall state 
on the institution's Internet website whether the institution is 
exempt from Section 51.803 in making admissions for an academic 
year because of the application of Subsection (c).
	SECTION 2.  Section 51.804, Education Code, is amended to 
read as follows:   
	Sec. 51.804.  ADDITIONAL AUTOMATIC ADMISSIONS:  SELECTED 
INSTITUTIONS.  For each academic year, the governing board of each 
general academic teaching institution to which Section 51.803 
applies shall determine whether to adopt an admissions policy under 
which an applicant to the institution as a first-time freshman 
student, other than an applicant eligible for admission under 
Section 51.803, shall be admitted to the institution if the 
applicant graduated from a public or private high school in this 
state accredited by a generally recognized accrediting 
organization with a grade point average in the top 25 percent of the 
applicant's high school graduating class.
	SECTION 3.  The change in law made by this Act applies 
beginning with admissions to institutions of higher education for 
the 2006-2007 academic year.  Admissions to an academic year before 
that academic year are covered by the law in effect before the 
effective date of this Act, and the former law is continued in 
effect for that purpose.
	SECTION 4.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2005.