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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to common admission application forms for institutions of |
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higher education. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 51.761, Education Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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Sec. 51.761. DEFINITIONS. In this subchapter, "board," |
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"general academic teaching institution," "governing board," |
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"institution of higher education," "public state college," "public |
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technical institute," "private or independent institution of |
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higher education," and "university system" have the meanings |
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assigned by Section 61.003. |
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SECTION 2. Sections 51.762(a), (f), and (h), Education |
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Code, are amended to read as follows: |
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(a) The board, with the assistance of high school counselors |
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and an advisory committee composed of representatives of general |
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academic teaching institutions, junior college districts, public |
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state colleges, [and] public technical institutes, and private or |
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independent institutions of higher education [and with the
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consultation of all institutions of higher education that admit
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freshman-level students]: |
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(1) shall adopt by rule: |
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(A) a common admission application form for use |
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by a person seeking admission [as a freshman student] to a general |
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academic teaching institution; |
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(B) an electronic common admission application |
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form for use by a person seeking admission [as a freshman student] |
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to an institution of higher education [that admits freshman-level
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students], other than a general academic teaching institution; and |
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(C) if the board determines that adoption of the |
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form would be cost-effective for nursing schools, an electronic |
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common admission application form for use by a person seeking |
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admission as a student to an undergraduate nursing education |
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program at an institution of higher education; and |
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(2) may adopt by rule a printed format common |
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admission application form for use by a person seeking admission as |
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a freshman student to an institution of higher education that |
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admits freshman-level students, other than a general academic |
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teaching institution. |
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(f) The board shall ensure that copies of the [freshman] |
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common admission application forms appropriate for use by a person |
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seeking admission to an institution of higher education as a |
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freshman student and information for the use of the forms are |
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available in electronic format [for distribution] to the |
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appropriate personnel at each public high school in this state. |
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(h) An applicant may file, and each institution of higher |
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education shall accept, an application for admission [as an
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entering freshman or undergraduate transfer student] that uses the |
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appropriate form adopted under this section. The form used to |
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apply to a general academic teaching institution may be filed in |
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either electronic or printed format. An institution of higher |
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education is not prohibited from requiring an applicant to submit |
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additional information within a reasonable time after the |
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institution has received an application using a form adopted under |
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this section. |
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SECTION 3. Section 51.763(a), Education Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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(a) The governing board of a university system shall adopt a |
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common admission application form consistent with this subchapter |
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to be used by any person seeking [freshman or undergraduate
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transfer] admission to one or more of the general academic teaching |
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institutions within the university system. |
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SECTION 4. Section 51.762(b), Education Code, is repealed. |
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SECTION 5. The changes in law made by this Act apply |
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beginning with applications for admission to institutions of higher |
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education for the 2018-2019 academic year. |
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SECTION 6. 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, 2017. |