80R3426 KKA-D
 
  By: Castro H.B. No. 500
 
 
 
   
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to notice to certain public school high school seniors and
their parents or guardians of automatic college admission.
       BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
       SECTION 1.  Section 28.026, Education Code, is amended to
read as follows:
       Sec. 28.026.  NOTICE OF AUTOMATIC COLLEGE ADMISSION.  (a)
The board of trustees of a school district shall require each high
school in the district to post appropriate signs in each
counselor's office, in each principal's office, and in each
administrative building indicating the substance of Section 51.803
regarding automatic college admission. To assist in the
dissemination of this information, the school district shall:
             (1)  require that each high school counselor and class
advisor be provided a detailed explanation of the substance of
Section 51.803;
             (2)  require that each high school counselor and senior
class advisor explain to eligible students the substance of Section
51.803; and
             (3)  not later than the 14th day after the last day of
classes for the fall semester or an equivalent date in the case of a
school operated on a year-round system under Section 25.084, 
provide each eligible senior student under Section 51.803 and the
student's parent or guardian[, at the commencement of a class's
senior year,] with a written notification of the student's
eligibility with a detailed explanation in plain language of the
substance of Section 51.803.
       (b)  The agency shall adopt a form to use in providing notice
under Subsection (a)(3). The notice to a student and the student's
parent or guardian must be on a single form.  The form may contain
one or more signature lines to indicate receipt of notice by the
student or the student's parent or guardian.  In providing notice
under Subsection (a)(3), a school district shall use the form
adopted by the agency.
       SECTION 2.  (a) The Texas Education Agency shall adopt a form
for notifying eligible high school seniors and their parents or
guardians of automatic college admission as required by Section
28.026, Education Code, as amended by this Act, as soon as
practicable after the effective date of this Act.
       (b)  A school district shall provide notice to eligible high
school seniors and their parents or guardians of automatic college
admission as required by Section 28.026, Education Code, as amended
by this Act, beginning with the 2007-2008 school year.
       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, 2007.