Texas 2009 - 81st Regular

Texas Senate Bill SB1394 Compare Versions

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Old	New	Differences
1	1	81R35855 KSD-F
2	2	By: Zaffirini, et al. S.B. No. 1394
3	3	Substitute the following for S.B. No. 1394:
4	4	By: Branch C.S.S.B. No. 1394
5	5
6	6
7	7	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
8	8	AN ACT
9	9	relating to notification of an applicant for admission to a general
10	10	academic teaching institution regarding the availability of degree
11	11	programs in the applicant's preferred major field of study offered
12	12	by other institutions.
13	13	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
14	14	SECTION 1. Subchapter S, Chapter 51, Education Code, is
15	15	amended by adding Section 51.7635 to read as follows:
16	16	Sec. 51.7635. NOTIFICATION REGARDING DEGREE PROGRAMS
17	17	OFFERED BY OTHER INSTITUTIONS IN APPLICANT'S PREFERRED MAJOR FIELD.
18	18	(a) Each applicant for admission to a general academic teaching
19	19	institution who designates on the applicant's online common
20	20	admission application form or other electronic application form
21	21	applicable to all general academic teaching institutions one or
22	22	more choices or preferences for the applicant's major field of
23	23	study must promptly be redirected by the application website to a
24	24	notification regarding the availability of degree programs in that
25	25	field of study offered by general academic teaching institutions.
26	26	(b) The notification required by Subsection (a) must
27	27	include a list of those general academic teaching institutions
28	28	offering comparable degree programs in the applicant's designated
29	29	field of study, and must provide the following information, or
30	30	electronic links to the following information, for each
31	31	institution:
32	32	(1) the institution's location and distance from the
33	33	applicant's home zip code;
34	34	(2) a description of the programs offered by the
35	35	institution in the applicant's designated major field of study;
36	36	(3) graduation and retention rate information for the
37	37	institution; and
38	38	(4) any other information the board considers
39	39	appropriate to assist the applicant in selecting among
40	40	institutions.
41	41	(c) In addition to providing the notification required by
42	42	Subsection (a), if a general academic teaching institution denies
43	43	admission to any applicant who designated one or more choices or
44	44	preferences for the applicant's major field of study on a timely and
45	45	complete application form described by Subsection (a), the
46	46	institution shall include in its notice of denial a link to detailed
47	47	information available on the application website regarding the
48	48	availability of degree programs in that field of study offered by
49	49	other general academic teaching institutions.
50	50	(d) The provision and receipt of information under this
51	51	section does not guarantee the availability of a degree program or
52	52	admission to a degree program and does not constitute a waiver of
53	53	any applicable admissions application deadline.
54	54	(e) The board, in consultation with the appropriate
55	55	advisory committees for common application forms, shall adopt rules
56	56	as necessary for the administration of this section.
57	57	SECTION 2. Section 51.7635, Education Code, as added by
58	58	this Act, applies beginning with applicants for admission to a
59	59	general academic teaching institution for the 2011-2012 academic
60	60	year.
61	61	SECTION 3. The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board
62	62	shall adopt the rules required by Section 51.7635, Education Code,
63	63	as added by this Act, as soon as practicable after this Act takes
64	64	effect. For that purpose, the coordinating board may adopt the
65	65	initial rules in the manner provided by law for emergency rules.
66	66	SECTION 4. This Act does not make an appropriation. A
67	67	provision in this Act that creates a new governmental program,
68	68	creates a new entitlement, or imposes a new duty on a governmental
69	69	entity is not mandatory during a fiscal period for which the
70	70	legislature has not made a specific appropriation to implement the
71	71	provision.
72	72	SECTION 5. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
73	73	a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
74	74	provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
75	75	Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
76	76	Act takes effect September 1, 2009.