By: Villarreal H.B. No. 2778

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to increasing the number of transfer students at general academic teaching institutions.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

SECTION 1. Section 51.808, Education Code, is amended to read as follows:

Sec. 51.808. APPLICATION OF ADMISSION CRITERIA TO OTHER PROGRAMS. (a) Each general academic teaching institution or medical and dental unit that offers [admissions to undergraduate transfer students or] admissions to a graduate, postgraduate, or professional program shall [also] adopt a written admission policy applicable to those programs.

(b) Each general academic teaching institution shall adopt a written admission policy to promote the admission of undergraduate transfer students to the institution. The policy must provide for outreach and recruiting efforts directed at junior colleges and other lower-division institutions of higher education and may include incentives, to encourage transfer applications and to retain and promote transfer students. The policy must provide for a number of undergraduate transfer students to be admitted to the institution so that, of the students enrolled in their junior or senior year at the institution, at least:

(1) 15 percent are undergraduate transfer students beginning with the 2009 fall semester;

(2) 30 percent are undergraduate transfer students beginning with the 2011 fall semester; and

(3) 40 percent are undergraduate transfer students beginning with the 2013 fall semester.

(c) A [The] policy adopted under this section shall be published in the institution's or unit's catalog and made available to the public.

SECTION 2. 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.