Bill Text: TX SB249 | 2019-2020 | 86th Legislature | Introduced
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.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2019-02-07 - Referred to Higher Education [SB249 Detail]
Download: Texas-2019-SB249-Introduced.html
| 86R3156 SOS-F | ||
| By: Kolkhorst | S.B. No. 249 | |
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| 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. | ||
| (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. | ||
