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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the creation of an electronic platform and submission |
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portal, known as My Texas Future, to facilitate the awareness and |
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application of public high school students into institutions of |
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higher education using the electronic common admission application |
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form. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Chapter 28.025(c), Education Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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(c) A person may receive a diploma if the person is eligible |
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for a diploma under Section 28.0251. In other cases, a student may |
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graduate and receive a diploma only if: |
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(1) the student successfully completes the curriculum |
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requirements identified by the State Board of Education under |
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Subsection (a) and complies with Sections 28.0256, 28.0257, and |
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39.025; or |
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(2) the student successfully completes an |
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individualized education program developed under Section 29.005. |
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SECTION 2. Chapter 28.0257, Education Code, is added to |
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read as follows: |
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Sec.28.0257. DIRECT ADMISSIONS DATA SHARING OPT-IN ELECTION |
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FOR HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION. (a) In this section: |
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(1) "Coordinating board" means the Texas Higher |
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Education Coordinating Board. |
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(2) "Institution of higher education" has the meaning |
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assigned by Section 61.003. |
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(b) Except as provided by Subsection (c), before graduating |
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from high school, each student must elect whether to opt-in to |
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allowing the coordinating board to share the student's data and |
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education records, as necessary, with institutions of higher |
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education to allow the student to participate in the direct |
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admissions program established by the Coordinating Board pursuant |
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to Education Code 61.0511(b)(2). |
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(c) A student is not required to comply with Subsection (b) |
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if: |
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(1) The student's parent or other person standing in |
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parental relation submits a signed form indicating that the parent |
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or other person authorizes the student to decline to complete and |
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submit information necessary to participate in a program offered |
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under subsection (b); |
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(2) The student signs and submits the form described |
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by Subdivision (1) on the student's own behalf if the student is 18 |
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years of age or older or the student's disabilities of minority have |
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been removed for general purposes under Chapter 31, Family Code; or |
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(3) A school counselor authorizes in writing the |
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student to decline to complete and submit the information necessary |
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to participate in a program offered under subsection (b). |
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(d) Each school district or open-enrollment charter school |
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shall use a form adopted by the Coordinating Board, in consultation |
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with the Texas Education Agency, to allow a student to opt-out |
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pursuant to subsection (c). The form shall: |
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(1) Provide the student or the student's parent or |
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other person standing in parental relation, as applicable, the |
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opportunity to elect whether to share the student's data or |
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education records, as necessary, with institutions of higher |
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education to facilitate the student's participation in a program |
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offered under subsection (b); and |
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(2) Be made available in English, Spanish, and any |
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other language spoken by a majority of the students enrolled in a |
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bilingual education or special language program under Subchapter B, |
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Chapter 29, in the district or school. |
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SECTION 3. Subchapter C, Chapter 51, Education Code, is |
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amended by adding subsection 51.763(d) to read as follows: |
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(d) Each institution of higher education shall publish |
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prominently on its admission application website a link to |
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MyTexasFuture.Org or its successor electronic platform and provide |
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notice to students that they may apply to the institution using the |
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electronic common admission application form found in |
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ApplyTexas.Org or via MyTexasFuture.Org. |
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SECTION 4. Subchapter C, Chapter 61, Education Code, is |
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amended by adding Section 61.0511 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 61.0511. Direct Admissions and Financial Aid Portal at |
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MyTexasFuture.Org. |
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(a) The board shall create, maintain, and administer an |
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electronic platform and submission portal, known as My Texas Future |
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(MyTexasFuture.Org), to facilitate the awareness and application |
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of students into institutions of higher education. |
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(b) My Texas Future, or any successor electronic platform |
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established pursuant to this section, shall include: |
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(1) A link or direct submission portal to the |
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electronic common admission application form adopted and |
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established pursuant to Section 51, Subchapter S; |
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(2) A Direct Admission's program that lists |
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institution of higher education to which a student may be directly |
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admitted based on the student's profile and information; |
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(3) To the greatest extent possible, a list of |
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financial aid awards that a student may be eligible to receive |
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based on the student's profile and information; and |
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(4) The data required by Section 61.09022 to assist |
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students in assessing the value of post-secondary credentials by |
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program. |
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(c) A Texas school district or an open-enrollment charter |
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school shall as part of the high school registration process |
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annually notify, in a manner prescribed by coordinating board rule, |
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each parent or guardian of a student who has earned at least three |
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high school course credits or not later than the end of a student's |
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first semester of ninth grade: |
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(1) Of the option to create or update annually a |
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profile and account in My Texas Future; |
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(2) That a student or their parent is permitted to |
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update or revise their own profile in My Texas Future; |
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(3) That a student or parent of a student who creates a |
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profile and account under this section, may opt-out of one or more |
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programs offered under Subsection (b); and |
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(4) Of the graduation requirement under Section |
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28.0257 for a student or parent to indicate whether the student |
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wishes to opt-in to allowing the board to share the student's data |
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and educational records with institutions of higher education for |
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the purpose of participating in the Direct Admissions Program |
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established under Subsection (b)(2). |
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(d) The Texas Education Agency and the Coordinating Board |
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shall jointly prepare and post on their respective Internet |
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websites a publication that includes the information required to be |
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provided under subsection (c) in a form that enables a school |
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district or open-enrollment charter school to reproduce the |
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publication for distribution under that subsection. |
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(e) The Texas Education Agency and each Texas public school |
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district or open -enrollment charter school shall make the data |
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available to the Coordinating Board necessary to administer this |
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Section. |
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(f) The board may adopt rules necessary to implement this |
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section. |
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(g) The board may share a student's contact information in |
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MyTexasFuture.Org with an institution of higher education unless |
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the student opts-out of sharing the student's contact information. |
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Any student information shared with an institution of higher |
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education is confidential pursuant to subsection (l). The board |
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shall ensure that a student may opt-out of sharing the student's |
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contact information with an institution of higher education. |
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(l) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, except |
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as provided by this section, information that relates to a current, |
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former, or prospective applicant or student of an educational |
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institution and that is obtained, received, or held by the board for |
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the purpose of administering this section or otherwise providing |
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assistance with access to postsecondary education is confidential |
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and excepted from disclosure under Chapter 552, Government Code, |
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and may only be released in conformity with the Family Educational |
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Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (20 U.S.C. Section 1232g). The |
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Coordinating Board may withhold information prohibited from being |
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disclosed under this subsection without requesting a decision from |
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the attorney general under Subchapter G, Chapter 552, Government |
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Code. |
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SECTION 5. Section 61.0511, Education Code, as added by |
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this Act, applies beginning with the 2025-2026 academic year. |
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SECTION 6. Subsections 28.025 and 28.0257, Education Code, |
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as added by this Act, applies beginning with the 2026-2027 academic |
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year. |
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SECTION 7. 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, 2025. |