Bill Text: TX HB539 | 2019-2020 | 86th Legislature | Enrolled

Texas House Bill 539 (Prior Session Legislation)

Bill Title: Relating to the automatic admission to general academic teaching institutions and eligibility for certain scholarships of a student who is the valedictorian of the student's high school graduating class.

Sponsorship: Moderate Partisan Bill (Republican 37-7)

Status: (Passed) 2019-06-10 - Effective immediately [HB539 Detail]

Download: Texas-2019-HB539-Enrolled.html



	H.B. No. 539




	AN ACT
	relating to the automatic admission to general academic teaching
	institutions and eligibility for certain scholarships of a student
	who is the valedictorian of the student's high school graduating
	class.
	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
	SECTION 1. Section 51.803, Education Code, is amended by
	adding Subsection (d-1) and amending Subsection (h) to read as
	follows:
	(d-1) In addition to admissions required under Subsection
	(a), each general academic teaching institution shall admit an
	applicant for admission to the institution as an undergraduate
	student if the applicant graduated as the valedictorian of the
	student's high school graduating class in one of the two school
	years preceding the academic year for which the student is applying
	for admission and satisfies the requirements of Subsections (a)(1)
	through (3). Subsection (b) applies to an applicant for admission
	under this subsection. An applicant admitted under this subsection
	is considered automatically admitted for purposes of Subsection
	(a), (a-1), or (a-2), as applicable.
	(h) An institution that admits under this section an
	applicant qualified for automatic admission under Subsection (a) or
	(d-1) may admit the applicant for either the fall semester of the
	academic year for which the applicant applies or for the summer
	session preceding that fall semester, as determined by the
	institution.
	SECTION 2. Section 56.484, Education Code, is amended to
	read as follows:
	Sec. 56.484. INITIAL ELIGIBILITY FOR SCHOLARSHIP. To be
	eligible for a scholarship under this subchapter, a student must:
	(1) have graduated from a public or accredited private
	high school in this state while ranked in the top 10 percent or as
	the valedictorian of the student's graduating class, subject to
	Section 56.487(b);
	(2) have completed the recommended or advanced high
	school curriculum established under Section 28.025 or its
	equivalent;
	(3) have applied for admission as a first-time
	freshman student for the 2010-2011 academic year or a subsequent
	academic year to an institution of higher education that has
	elected to offer admissions for that academic year to applicants as
	provided by Section 51.803(a-1);
	(4) enroll as a first-time freshman student in an
	institution of higher education not later than the 16th month after
	the date of the student's high school graduation;
	(5) have been awarded a TEXAS grant under Subchapter M
	for the same semester or other academic term for which the
	scholarship will be awarded;
	(6) be a Texas resident under Section 54.052; and
	(7) comply with any other eligibility requirements
	established by coordinating board rule.
	SECTION 3. The changes in law made by this Act to Section
	51.803, Education Code, apply beginning with admissions to a
	general academic teaching institution for the 2019-2020 academic
	year. Admissions to a general academic teaching institution for an
	academic year before that academic year 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 4. The change in law made by this Act to Section
	56.484, Education Code, applies beginning with scholarships
	awarded for the 2019-2020 academic year. Scholarships awarded for
	an academic year before that academic year 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 5. 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, 2019.


	______________________________	______________________________
	President of the Senate	Speaker of the House


	I certify that H.B. No. 539 was passed by the House on April
	3, 2019, by the following vote: Yeas 147, Nays 0, 2 present, not
	voting.

	______________________________
	Chief Clerk of the House


	I certify that H.B. No. 539 was passed by the Senate on May
	22, 2019, by the following vote: Yeas 31, Nays 0.

	______________________________
	Secretary of the Senate
	APPROVED: _____________________
	Date

	_____________________
	Governor