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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the automatic admission of undergraduate students to a |
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general academic teaching institution that is a component |
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institution of a university system. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 51.803, Education Code, is amended by |
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amending Subsection (a) and adding Subsections (b-1) and (b-2) to |
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read as follows: |
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(a) Except as provided by Subsection (b-1), each [Each] |
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general academic teaching institution shall admit an applicant for |
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admission to the institution as an undergraduate student if the |
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applicant graduated with a grade point average in the top 10 percent |
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of the student's high school graduating class in one of the two |
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school years preceding the academic year for which the applicant is |
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applying for admission and: |
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(1) the applicant graduated from a public or private |
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high school in this state accredited by a generally recognized |
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accrediting organization or from a high school operated by the |
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United States Department of Defense; |
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(2) the applicant: |
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(A) successfully completed: |
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(i) at a public high school, the curriculum |
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requirements established under Section 28.025 for the recommended |
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or advanced high school program; or |
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(ii) at a high school to which Section |
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28.025 does not apply, a curriculum that is equivalent in content |
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and rigor to the recommended or advanced high school program; or |
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(B) satisfied ACT's College Readiness Benchmarks |
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on the ACT assessment applicable to the applicant or earned on the |
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SAT assessment a score of at least 1,500 out of 2,400 or the |
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equivalent; and |
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(3) if the applicant graduated from a high school |
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operated by the United States Department of Defense, the applicant |
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is a Texas resident under Section 54.052 or is entitled to pay |
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tuition fees at the rate provided for Texas residents under Section |
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54.058(d) for the term or semester to which admitted. |
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(b-1) The governing board of a university system that |
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includes more than one general academic teaching institution may |
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adopt a policy under which an application for admission under this |
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section to one or more of those institutions by a person eligible |
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for automatic admission under Subsection (a) is treated as an |
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application for admission as an undergraduate student to any |
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general academic teaching institution in the system. A university |
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system that adopts a policy under this subsection must offer an |
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eligible applicant admission to at least one component general |
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academic teaching institution of the system. A policy adopted |
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under this subsection must: |
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(1) include a process through which the university |
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system requests each eligible applicant to list in order of |
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preference the general academic teaching institutions in the system |
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to which the applicant prefers to be admitted under this section; |
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and |
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(2) require the system to make a reasonable effort to |
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offer the applicant admission to the institution of the applicant's |
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highest preference possible consistent with the enrollment needs of |
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the system. |
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(b-2) A university system that adopts a policy under |
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Subsection (b-1) shall provide to the board of trustees of each |
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school district in the state reasonable notice of the policy not |
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later than November 1 of the academic year immediately preceding |
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each academic year to which the policy applies. |
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SECTION 2. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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Act takes effect September 1, 2009. |