BILL ANALYSIS

C.S.H.B. 3585

By: Turner

Higher Education

Committee Report (Substituted)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Interested parties note the role high school counselors and private and independent institutions of higher education play with regard to the state common admission application system and suggest that they deserve representation on the advisory committee that assists the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board in relation to that system. C.S.H.B. 3585 seeks to provide that representation and provide for certain changes relating to common admission application forms for institutions of higher education.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision.

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. 3585 repeals the Education Code provision authorizing the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board to adopt by rule a common admission application form for use by a person seeking admission as an undergraduate transfer student to a general academic teaching institution; an electronic or printed format common admission application form for use by a person seeking admission as an undergraduate transfer student to a public institution of higher education that admits undergraduate transfer students, other than a general academic teaching institution; and an electronic common admission application form for use by a person seeking admission as a transfer student to an undergraduate nursing education program at an institution of higher education if the coordinating board determines that adoption of the form would be cost‑effective for nursing schools. The bill amends the Education Code with regard to the coordinating board's required adoption of common admission application forms to remove language restricting use of certain of those forms to a person seeking admission specifically as a freshman student and to exclude use of the adopted electronic common admission application form by a person seeking admission to a medical and dental unit. The bill removes the specification that the common admission application form required to be adopted by the governing board of a university system for use by persons seeking admission to one or more of the general academic teaching institutions within the university system is for use by a person specifically seeking freshman or undergraduate transfer admission.

C.S.H.B. 3585 revises the manner in which the coordinating board is required to adopt the common admission application forms by including representatives of private or independent institutions of higher education among the members of the advisory committee with whose assistance the coordinating board adopts the forms, by including high school counselors as a party with whose assistance the coordinating board adopts the forms, and by removing the coordinating board's consultation of all institutions of higher education that admit freshman-level students. The bill specifies that the common admission application forms for which the coordinating board is required to ensure that copies of the forms and information for the use of the forms are available in electronic format to the appropriate personnel at each public high school are forms appropriate for use by a person seeking admission to an institution of higher education as a freshman student. The bill applies beginning with applications for admission to institutions of higher education for the 2018-2019 academic year.

C.S.H.B. 3585 repeals Section 51.762(b), Education Code.

EFFECTIVE DATE

On passage, or, if the bill does not receive the necessary vote, September 1, 2017.

COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL AND SUBSTITUTE

While C.S.H.B. 3585 may differ from the original in minor or nonsubstantive ways, the following comparison is organized and formatted 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 51.761, Education Code, is amended to read as follows: Sec. 51.761. DEFINITIONS. In this subchapter, "board," "general academic teaching institution," "governing board," "institution of higher education," "public state college," "public technical institute," "private or independent institution of higher education," and "university system" have the meanings assigned by Section 61.003.	SECTION 1. Section 51.761, Education Code, is amended to read as follows: Sec. 51.761. DEFINITIONS. In this subchapter, "board," "general academic teaching institution," "governing board," "institution of higher education," "medical and dental unit," "public state college," "public technical institute," "private or independent institution of higher education," and "university system" have the meanings assigned by Section 61.003.
SECTION 2. Sections 51.762(a), (f), and (h), Education Code, are amended to read as follows: (a) The board, with the assistance of high school counselors and an advisory committee composed of representatives of general academic teaching institutions, junior college districts, public state colleges, [and] public technical institutes, and private or independent institutions of higher education [and with the consultation of all institutions of higher education that admit freshman-level students]: (1) shall adopt by rule: (A) a common admission application form for use by a person seeking admission [as a freshman student] to a general academic teaching institution; (B) an electronic common admission application form for use by a person seeking admission [as a freshman student] to an institution of higher education [that admits freshman-level students], other than a general academic teaching institution; and (C) if the board determines that adoption of the form would be cost-effective for nursing schools, an electronic common admission application form for use by a person seeking admission as a student to an undergraduate nursing education program at an institution of higher education; and (2) may adopt by rule a printed format common admission application form for use by a person seeking admission as a freshman student to an institution of higher education that admits freshman-level students, other than a general academic teaching institution. (f) The board shall ensure that copies of the [freshman] common admission application forms appropriate for use by a person seeking admission to an institution of higher education as a freshman student and information for the use of the forms are available in electronic format [for distribution] to the appropriate personnel at each public high school in this state. (h) An applicant may file, and each institution of higher education shall accept, an application for admission [as an entering freshman or undergraduate transfer student] that uses the appropriate form adopted under this section. The form used to apply to a general academic teaching institution may be filed in either electronic or printed format. An institution of higher education is not prohibited from requiring an applicant to submit additional information within a reasonable time after the institution has received an application using a form adopted under this section.	SECTION 2. Sections 51.762(a), (f), and (h), Education Code, are amended to read as follows: (a) The board, with the assistance of high school counselors and an advisory committee composed of representatives of general academic teaching institutions, junior college districts, public state colleges, [and] public technical institutes, and private or independent institutions of higher education [and with the consultation of all institutions of higher education that admit freshman-level students]: (1) shall adopt by rule: (A) a common admission application form for use by a person seeking admission [as a freshman student] to a general academic teaching institution; (B) an electronic common admission application form for use by a person seeking admission [as a freshman student] to an institution of higher education [that admits freshman-level students], other than a general academic teaching institution or a medical and dental unit; and (C) if the board determines that adoption of the form would be cost-effective for nursing schools, an electronic common admission application form for use by a person seeking admission as a student to an undergraduate nursing education program at an institution of higher education; and (2) may adopt by rule a printed format common admission application form for use by a person seeking admission as a freshman student to an institution of higher education that admits freshman-level students, other than a general academic teaching institution. (f) The board shall ensure that copies of the [freshman] common admission application forms appropriate for use by a person seeking admission to an institution of higher education as a freshman student and information for the use of the forms are available in electronic format [for distribution] to the appropriate personnel at each public high school in this state. (h) An applicant may file, and each institution of higher education shall accept, an application for admission [as an entering freshman or undergraduate transfer student] that uses the appropriate form adopted under this section. The form used to apply to a general academic teaching institution may be filed in either electronic or printed format. An institution of higher education is not prohibited from requiring an applicant to submit additional information within a reasonable time after the institution has received an application using a form adopted under this section.
SECTION 3. Section 51.763(a), Education Code, is amended.	SECTION 3. Same as introduced version.
SECTION 4. Section 51.762(b), Education Code, is repealed.	SECTION 4. Same as introduced version.
SECTION 5. The changes in law made by this Act apply beginning with applications for admission to institutions of higher education for the 2018-2019 academic year.	SECTION 5. Same as introduced version.
SECTION 6. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this Act takes effect September 1, 2017.	SECTION 6. Same as introduced version.