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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to notification of an applicant for admission to a general |
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academic teaching institution regarding the availability of degree |
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programs in the applicant's preferred major field of study offered |
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by other institutions. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Subchapter S, Chapter 51, Education Code, is |
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amended by adding Section 51.7635 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 51.7635. NOTIFICATION REGARDING DEGREE PROGRAMS |
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OFFERED BY OTHER INSTITUTIONS IN APPLICANT'S PREFERRED MAJOR FIELD. |
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(a) Each applicant for admission to a general academic teaching |
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institution who designates on the applicant's online common |
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admission application form or other electronic application form |
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applicable to all general academic teaching institutions one or |
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more choices or preferences for the applicant's major field of |
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study must promptly be redirected by the application website to a |
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notification regarding the availability of degree programs in that |
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field of study offered by general academic teaching institutions. |
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(b) The notification required by Subsection (a) must |
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include a list of those general academic teaching institutions |
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offering comparable degree programs in the applicant's designated |
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field of study, and must provide the following information, or |
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electronic links to the following information, for each |
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institution: |
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(1) the institution's location and distance from the |
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applicant's home zip code; |
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(2) a description of the programs offered by the |
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institution in the applicant's designated major field of study; |
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(3) graduation and retention rate information for the |
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institution; and |
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(4) any other information the board considers |
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appropriate to assist the applicant in selecting among |
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institutions. |
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(c) In addition to providing the notification required by |
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Subsection (a), if a general academic teaching institution denies |
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admission to any applicant who designated one or more choices or |
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preferences for the applicant's major field of study on a timely and |
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complete application form described by Subsection (a), the |
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institution shall include in its notice of denial a link to detailed |
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information available on the application website regarding the |
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availability of degree programs in that field of study offered by |
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other general academic teaching institutions. |
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(d) The provision and receipt of information under this |
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section does not guarantee the availability of a degree program or |
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admission to a degree program and does not constitute a waiver of |
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any applicable admissions application deadline. |
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(e) The board, in consultation with the appropriate |
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advisory committees for common application forms, shall adopt rules |
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as necessary for the administration of this section. |
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SECTION 2. Section 51.7635, Education Code, as added by |
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this Act, applies beginning with applicants for admission to a |
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general academic teaching institution for the 2011-2012 academic |
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year. |
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SECTION 3. The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board |
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shall adopt the rules required by Section 51.7635, Education Code, |
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as added by this Act, as soon as practicable after this Act takes |
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effect. For that purpose, the coordinating board may adopt the |
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initial rules in the manner provided by law for emergency rules. |
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SECTION 4. This Act does not make an appropriation. A |
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provision in this Act that creates a new governmental program, |
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creates a new entitlement, or imposes a new duty on a governmental |
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entity is not mandatory during a fiscal period for which the |
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legislature has not made a specific appropriation to implement the |
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provision. |
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SECTION 5. 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. |