80R1168 KEL-D

By: Dutton H.B. No. 794

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 2008-2009 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, 2007.