BILL ANALYSIS

S.B. 1241

By: Middleton

Higher Education

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

The bill sponsor has informed the committee that current law grants preference to the SAT and ACT as the primary college entrance exams for state-supported educational benefits and university admissions and that these tests are recognized under state law, including laws that provide state funding for students to take them, allow their use for automatic admissions to public universities, and count them toward high school graduation requirements. However, the bill sponsor has also informed the committee that there are concerns regarding the College Board, which administers the SAT, and its perceived ideological influence on educational materials. The bill sponsor has further informed the committee that some critics argue that the College Board's alignment with Common Core, declining test rigor, and controversial content in Advanced Placement curricula do not align with Texas education policies. S.B. 1241 seeks to address this issue by removing those tests as prerequisite criteria for automatic admission at general academic teaching institutions and by requiring the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board to conduct a study regarding college entrance examinations.

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

S.B. 1241 amends the Education Code to revise the criteria that an applicant must meet to qualify for automatic admission as an undergraduate student at a general academic teaching institution by removing the option for an otherwise qualifying applicant to have satisfied ACT's College Readiness Benchmarks on the ACT assessment or earned a score of at least 1,500 out of 2,400 or the equivalent on the SAT assessment. The bill makes the same change to the criteria that a graduating student who does not qualify for automatic admission must meet to be authorized to apply to any general academic teaching institution. These bill provisions take effect September 1, 2027, and apply beginning with admissions to a general academic teaching institution for the 2028 fall semester. Admissions to a general academic teaching institution for a term or semester before the 2028 fall semester are governed by the law in effect immediately before the bill's effective date, and the former law is continued in effect for that purpose.

S.B. 1241 requires the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) to conduct a study on college entrance examinations to determine which examinations, and the requisite score for each examination, should be used as a criterion for admission to a general academic teaching institution. The bill requires the study to do the following:

· identify each college entrance examination with sufficient rigor and reliability to be used as a criterion for admission to a general academic teaching institution; and

· determine the score for each such examination that demonstrates adequate performance for purposes of admission to a general academic teaching institution.

The bill requires the THECB, not later than August 1, 2026, to submit to the governor, the lieutenant governor, the speaker of the house of representatives, and the chair of each standing legislative committee with primary jurisdiction over higher education a report on the results of the study and any recommendations for legislative or other action. The bill's provisions relating to the study expire September 1, 2027.

EFFECTIVE DATE

Except as otherwise provided, on passage, or, if the bill does not receive the necessary vote, September 1, 2025.