BILL ANALYSIS
Senate Research Center S.B. 1570
80R5580 KSD-D By: Patrick, Dan
AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT
The "Top Ten Percent" law enacted by the 75th Texas Legislature provides for automatic admission to the state's public colleges and universities for an applicant who graduated with a grade point average in the top ten percent of the applicant's high school graduating class in one of the two school years preceding the academic year for which the applicant is applying for admission. In 2006, 71 percent of freshmen enrolled at The University of Texas at Austin were admitted under the top ten percent provision.
As proposed, S.B. 1570 mandates an additional requirement for applicants to The University of Texas at Austin and Texas A&M University of a score of at least 1,650 of 2,400 on the Scholastic Assessment Test or an equivalent score on the American College Test.
RULEMAKING AUTHORITY
Rulemaking authority is expressly granted to the commissioner of education in SECTION 2 (Section 28.026, Education Code) of this bill.
SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS
SECTION 1. Amends Section 51.803, Education Code, as follows:
Sec. 51.803. AUTOMATIC ADMISSION: ALL INSTITUTIONS. (a) Requires each general academic teaching institution, other than a general academic teaching institution to which Subsection (b) applies, to admit an applicant for admission to the institution as an undergraduate student if the applicant graduated from a high school operated by the United States Department of Defense, if the applicant is a Texas resident under Section 54.052 (Determination of Resident Status) or is entitled to pay tuition fees at the rate provided for Texas residents under Section 54.058(d) (relating to fees paid by a spouse or a child of an Armed Services member) for the term or semester to which admitted.
(b) Provides that this subsection applies only to The University of Texas at Austin and Texas A&M University. Requires an institution to which this subsection applies to admit an applicant for admission to the institution as an undergraduate student under certain circumstances.
(c) Deletes existing text requiring an applicant to be a Texas resident under Section 54.052 or be 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 to qualify for admission under this section.
(d) Redesignated from existing Subsection (b).
(e) Requires the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board by rule to prescribe a score equivalent to 1,650 out of 2,400 for purposes of Subsection (b) if the scoring used for the Scholastic Assessment Test is changed from a scale that has a maximum score of 2,400.
SECTION 2. Amends Section 28.026, Education Code, as follows:
Sec. 28.026. NOTICE OF AUTOMATIC COLLEGE ADMISSION. (a) Creates this subsection from existing text. Requires a school district to provide each district student, at the time the student first registers for one or more classes required for high school graduation, with a written notification of the substance of Section 51.803 (Automatic Admissions: All Students) to assist in the dissemination of certain information.
(b) Requires the commissioner of education (commissioner) to adopt forms to use in providing notice under Subsections (a)(2) and (4). Requires a school district to use the appropriate form adopted by the commissioner in providing notice under Subsection (a)(2) or (4).
(c) Requires the commissioner to adopt procedures to ensure that, as soon as practicable after this subsection becomes law, each school district provides written notification of the substance of Section 51.803, as amended by the 80th Legislature, Regular Session, 2007, to each district student who, for the 2007-2008 school year, registers for one or more courses required for high school graduation. Authorizes the commissioner to adopt rules under this subsection in the manner provided by law for emergency rules. Requires each district to comply with the procedures adopted by the commissioner under this subsection. Provides that this subsection expires September 1, 2008.
SECTION 3. Makes application of Section 51.803, Education Code, prospective to the 2008-2009 academic year.
SECTION 4. Effective date: September 1, 2007.