BILL ANALYSIS

C.S.H.B. 1052

By: Lavender

Higher Education

Committee Report (Substituted)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Current law requires each institution of higher education to admit an applicant for admission to the institution as an undergraduate student if the applicant is a child of a deceased public servant who was killed or sustained a fatal injury in the line of duty and the applicant meets applicable minimum requirements. Interested parties contend that the men and women serving as members of the U.S. military should know that, if they are killed or sustain a fatal injury on active duty, their children's opportunities to pursue an education at a four-year college or university are secure. C.S.H.B. 1052 seeks to ensure that the children of members of the U.S. military killed in the line of duty have access to an undergraduate degree.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.

ANALYSIS

C.S.H.B. 1052 amends the Education Code to extend the automatic admissions policy requiring an institution of higher education to admit as an undergraduate student an applicant who is the child of a public servant killed or fatally injured in the line of duty if the applicant meets certain minimum academic requirements set by the institution's governing board, if any, to require, beginning with admissions for the 2014-2015 academic year, the automatic admission of the child of a member of the U.S. military, including the National Guard, who was killed or sustained a fatal injury in the line of duty if the applicant also meets the applicable minimum requirements.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2013.

COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL AND SUBSTITUTE

While C.S.H.B. 1052 may differ from the original in minor or nonsubstantive ways, the following comparison is organized and highlighted in a manner that indicates the substantial differences between the introduced and committee substitute versions of the bill.

INTRODUCED	HOUSE COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE
SECTION 1. Section 51.803(e), Education Code, is amended to read as follows: (e) Each institution of higher education shall admit an applicant for admission to the institution as an undergraduate student if the applicant: (1) is the child of: (A) a public servant listed in Section 615.003, Government Code, who was killed or sustained a fatal injury in the line of duty; or (B) a member of the armed forces of the United States, including the National Guard, who died while on or as a result of active duty; and (2) meets the minimum requirements, if any, established for purposes of this subsection by the governing board of the institution for high school or prior college-level grade point average and performance on standardized tests.	SECTION 1. Section 51.803(e), Education Code, is amended to read as follows: (e) Each institution of higher education shall admit an applicant for admission to the institution as an undergraduate student if the applicant: (1) is the child of: (A) a public servant listed in Section 615.003, Government Code, who was killed or sustained a fatal injury in the line of duty; or (B) a member of the armed forces of the United States, including the National Guard, who was killed or sustained a fatal injury in the line of duty; and (2) meets the minimum requirements, if any, established for purposes of this subsection by the governing board of the institution for high school or prior college-level grade point average and performance on standardized tests.
SECTION 2. The change in law made by this Act to Section 51.803(e), Education Code, applies beginning with admissions to institutions of higher education for the 2014-2015 academic year. Admissions to an institution before that academic year are governed by the law in effect before the effective date of this Act, and the former law is continued in effect for that purpose.	SECTION 2. Same as introduced version.
SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2013.	SECTION 3. Same as introduced version.