Texas 2025 - 89th Regular

Texas House Bill HB4701 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

Old	New		Differences
1	1		By: Leo Wilson H.B. No. 4701
	2	+
	3	+
2	4
3	5
4	6		A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
5	7		AN ACT
6	8		relating to student discretion to use an alternative assessment
7	9		instrument as part of their undergraduate admissions process.
8	10		BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
9	11		SECTION 1. Section 39.0261(a), Education Code, is amended
10	12		to read as follows:
11	13		(a) In addition to the assessment instruments otherwise
12	14		authorized or required by this subchapter:
13	15		(1) each school year and at state cost, a school
14	16		district may administer to students in the spring of the eighth
15	17		grade an established, valid, reliable, and nationally
16	18		norm-referenced preliminary college preparation assessment
17	19		instrument for the purpose of diagnosing the academic strengths and
18	20		deficiencies of students before entrance into high school;
19	21		(2) each school year and at state cost, a school
20	22		district may administer to students in the 10th grade an
21	23		established, valid, reliable, and nationally norm-referenced
22	24		preliminary college preparation assessment instrument for the
23	25		purpose of measuring a student's progress toward readiness for
24	26		college and the workplace; and
25	27		(3) high school students in the spring of the 11th
26	28		grade or during the 12th grade may select and take once, at state
27	29		cost:
28	30		(A) one of the valid, reliable, and nationally
29	31		norm-referenced assessment instruments used by colleges and
30	32		universities as part of their undergraduate admissions processes,
31	33		including the SAT, the ACT, or the Classic Learning Test (CLT); or
32	34		(B) the assessment instrument designated by the
33	35		Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board under Section 51.334.
34	36		SECTION 2. Section 51.803(a), Education Code, is amended to
35	37		read as follows:
36	38		(a) Subject to Subsection (a-1), each general academic
37	39		teaching institution shall admit an applicant for admission to the
38	40		institution as an undergraduate student if the applicant graduated
39	41		with a grade point average in the top 10 percent of the student's
40	42		high school graduating class in one of the two school years
41	43		preceding the academic year for which the applicant is applying for
42	44		admission and:
43	45		(1) the applicant:
44	46		(A) graduated from a public or private high
45	47		school in this state accredited by a generally recognized
46	48		accrediting organization or from a high school operated by the
47	49		United States Department of Defense; or
48	50		(B) completed a nontraditional secondary
49	51		education as defined by Section 51.9241;
50	52		(2) the applicant:
51	53		(A) successfully completed:
52	54		(i) at a public high school, the curriculum
53	55		requirements established under Section 28.025 for the
54	56		distinguished level of achievement under the foundation high school
55	57		program; or
56	58		(ii) at a high school to which Section
57	59		28.025 does not apply, a curriculum that is equivalent in content
58	60		and rigor to the distinguished level of achievement under the
59	61		foundation high school program; or
60	62		(B) either:
61	63		(i) satisfied ACT's College Readiness
62	64		Benchmarks on the ACT assessment applicable to the applicant; or
63	65		(ii) earned:
64	66		(a) on the SAT assessment a score of
65	67		at least 1,500 out of 2,400 or the equivalent;
66	68		(b) on the Classic Learning Test
67	69		assessment a score of at least 71 out of 120 or the equivalent; or
68	70		(iii) on a college entrance examination
69	71		designated by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board and to
70	72		which Subparagraphs (i) and (ii) do not apply, achieved a score set
71	73		by coordinating board rule; and
72	74		(3) if the applicant graduated from a high school
73	75		operated by the United States Department of Defense, the applicant
74	76		is a Texas resident under Section 54.052 or is entitled to pay
75	77		tuition fees at the rate provided for Texas residents under Section
76	78		54.241(d) for the term or semester to which admitted.
77	79		SECTION 3. Section 51.805(a), Education Code, is amended to
78	80		read as follows:
79	81		(a) A graduating student who does not qualify for admission
80	82		under Section 51.803 or 51.804 may apply to any general academic
81	83		teaching institution if the student:
82	84		(1) successfully completed:
83	85		(A) at a public high school, the curriculum
84	86		requirements established under Section 28.025 for the foundation
85	87		high school program; or
86	88		(B) at a high school to which Section 28.025 does
87	89		not apply, a curriculum that is equivalent in content and rigor to
88	90		the foundation high school program; or
89	91		(2) either:
90	92		(A) satisfied ACT's College Readiness Benchmarks
91	93		on the ACT assessment applicable to the applicant; or
92	94		(B) earned:
93	95		(i) on the SAT assessment a score of at
94	96		least 1,500 out of 2,400 or the equivalent;
95	97		(ii) on the Classic Learning Test
96	98		assessment a score of at least 71 out of 120 or the equivalent; or
97	99		(C) on a college entrance examination designated
98	100		by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board and to which
99	101		Paragraphs (A) and (B) do not apply, achieved a score set by
100	102		coordinating board rule.
101	103		SECTION 4. The changes in law made by this Act apply
102	104		beginning with admissions to a general academic teaching
103	105		institution for the 2026 fall semester. Admissions to a general
104	106		academic teaching institution for a term or semester before the
105	107		2026 fall semester are governed by the law in effect immediately
106	108		before the effective date of this Act, and the former law is
107	109		continued in effect for that purpose.
108	110		SECTION 5. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
109	111		a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
110	112		provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
111	113		Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
112	114		Act takes effect September 1, 2025.