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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) The board by rule shall require that each applicant for |
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admission to a general academic teaching institution who designates |
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on the applicant's ApplyTexas online admission application form or |
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other electronic application form applicable to all general |
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academic teaching institutions one or more choices or preferences |
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for the applicant's major field of study must promptly be |
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redirected by the application website to a notification regarding |
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the availability of degree programs in that field of study offered |
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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 the |
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applicant's admission application form described by Subsection |
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(a), the institution shall include in its notice of denial a link to |
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detailed information available on the application website |
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regarding the availability of degree programs in that field of |
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study offered by other general academic teaching institutions. |
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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 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. |