AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT

 

Section 51.842 (Admission and Scholarship Factors for Graduate and Professional Programs), Education Code, provides requirements for admission and scholarship policies for graduate and professional programs, including medical schools. Section 51.842 (d) requires a new graduate or professional program to publish its admissions and competitive scholarship criteria at least one year before receiving applications. 

 

On the other hand, the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME), which provides accreditation for medical schools, prohibits an institution from publishing its admissions criteria until after the institution receives initial accreditation.

 

S.B. 2031 creates an exception to the statutory posting timeline for new graduate and professional programs if the accrediting body necessitates a different timeline. The admissions and scholarship criteria must be published as soon as practicable once the accrediting body permits.

 

S.B. 2031 amends current law relating to the date for publication of the factors considered for admission to a new graduate and professional program.

 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

 

This bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, institution, or agency.

 

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

 

SECTION 1. Amends Section 51.842, Education Code, by adding Subsection (e), as follows:

 

(e) Authorizes a general academic teaching institution or medical and dental unit, notwithstanding Subsection (d) (requiring each general academic teaching institution or medical and dental unit to publish in the catalog of the institution or unit a description of the factors to be considered by the institution or unit in making admissions and competitive scholarship decisions and make the information available to the public, not later than one year before the date that applications for admissions and competitive scholarships are first considered for a graduate or professional program under this subchapter), to delay publication of the factors to be considered in admissions decisions, if compliance with requirements of an accrediting agency effectively prevent the institution or unit from timely publishing the factors, but requires the institution or unit to publish the factors as soon as practicable when compliance with accrediting agency requirements permits.

 

SECTION 2. Effective date: upon passage or September 1, 2015.