S.B. No. 1543
 
 
 
 
AN ACT
  relating to the admission of undergraduate students with
  nontraditional secondary education to public institutions of
  higher education.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Section 51.9241, Education Code, is amended by
  amending Subsection (b) and adding Subsection (d) to read as
  follows:
         (b)  Because the State of Texas considers successful
  completion of a nontraditional secondary education to be equivalent
  to graduation from a public high school, an institution of higher
  education must treat an applicant for admission to the institution
  as an undergraduate student who presents evidence that the person
  has successfully completed a nontraditional secondary education
  according to the same general standards, including specific
  standardized testing score requirements, as other applicants for
  undergraduate admission who have graduated from a public high
  school.
         (d)  If an institution of higher education in its
  undergraduate admission review process sorts applicants by high
  school graduating class rank, the institution shall place any
  applicant who presents evidence that the applicant has successfully
  completed a nontraditional secondary education that does not
  include a high school graduating class ranking at the average high
  school graduating class rank of undergraduate applicants to the
  institution who have equivalent standardized testing scores as the
  applicant.
         SECTION 2.  The changes in law made by this Act apply
  beginning with admissions to a public institution of higher
  education for the 2016 fall semester. Admissions to a public
  institution of higher education for a term or semester before the
  2016 fall semester are governed by the law in effect immediately
  before the effective date of this Act, and the former law is
  continued in effect for that purpose.
         SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2015.
 
 
 
 
 
  ______________________________ ______________________________
     President of the Senate Speaker of the House     
 
         I hereby certify that S.B. No. 1543 passed the Senate on
  April 22, 2015, by the following vote:  Yeas 30, Nays 0.
 
 
  ______________________________
  Secretary of the Senate    
 
         I hereby certify that S.B. No. 1543 passed the House on
  May 27, 2015, by the following vote:  Yeas 144, Nays 0, two
  present not voting.
 
 
  ______________________________
  Chief Clerk of the House   
 
 
 
  Approved:
 
  ______________________________ 
              Date
 
 
  ______________________________ 
            Governor