Texas 2025 - 89th Regular

Texas House Bill HB4909 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

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1	1		By: Wilson H.B. No. 4909
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4	6		A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
5	7		AN ACT
6	8		relating to the creation of an electronic platform and submission
7	9		portal, known as My Texas Future, to facilitate the awareness and
8	10		application of public high school students into institutions of
9	11		higher education using the electronic common admission application
10	12		form.
11	13		BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
12	14		SECTION 1. Chapter 28.025(c), Education Code, is amended to
13	15		read as follows:
14	16		(c) A person may receive a diploma if the person is eligible
15	17		for a diploma under Section 28.0251. In other cases, a student may
16	18		graduate and receive a diploma only if:
17	19		(1) the student successfully completes the curriculum
18	20		requirements identified by the State Board of Education under
19	21		Subsection (a) and complies with Sections 28.0256, 28.0257, and
20	22		39.025; or
21	23		(2) the student successfully completes an
22	24		individualized education program developed under Section 29.005.
23	25		SECTION 2. Chapter 28.0257, Education Code, is added to
24	26		read as follows:
25	27		Sec.28.0257. DIRECT ADMISSIONS DATA SHARING OPT-IN ELECTION
26	28		FOR HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION. (a) In this section:
27	29		(1) "Coordinating board" means the Texas Higher
28	30		Education Coordinating Board.
29	31		(2) "Institution of higher education" has the meaning
30	32		assigned by Section 61.003.
31	33		(b) Except as provided by Subsection (c), before graduating
32	34		from high school, each student must elect whether to opt-in to
33	35		allowing the coordinating board to share the student's data and
34	36		education records, as necessary, with institutions of higher
35	37		education to allow the student to participate in the direct
36	38		admissions program established by the Coordinating Board pursuant
37	39		to Education Code 61.0511(b)(2).
38	40		(c) A student is not required to comply with Subsection (b)
39	41		if:
40	42		(1) The student's parent or other person standing in
41	43		parental relation submits a signed form indicating that the parent
42	44		or other person authorizes the student to decline to complete and
43	45		submit information necessary to participate in a program offered
44	46		under subsection (b);
45	47		(2) The student signs and submits the form described
46	48		by Subdivision (1) on the student's own behalf if the student is 18
47	49		years of age or older or the student's disabilities of minority have
48	50		been removed for general purposes under Chapter 31, Family Code; or
49	51		(3) A school counselor authorizes in writing the
50	52		student to decline to complete and submit the information necessary
51	53		to participate in a program offered under subsection (b).
52	54		(d) Each school district or open-enrollment charter school
53	55		shall use a form adopted by the Coordinating Board, in consultation
54	56		with the Texas Education Agency, to allow a student to opt-out
55	57		pursuant to subsection (c). The form shall:
56	58		(1) Provide the student or the student's parent or
57	59		other person standing in parental relation, as applicable, the
58	60		opportunity to elect whether to share the student's data or
59	61		education records, as necessary, with institutions of higher
60	62		education to facilitate the student's participation in a program
61	63		offered under subsection (b); and
62	64		(2) Be made available in English, Spanish, and any
63	65		other language spoken by a majority of the students enrolled in a
64	66		bilingual education or special language program under Subchapter B,
65	67		Chapter 29, in the district or school.
66	68		SECTION 3. Subchapter C, Chapter 51, Education Code, is
67	69		amended by adding subsection 51.763(d) to read as follows:
68	70		(d) Each institution of higher education shall publish
69	71		prominently on its admission application website a link to
70	72		MyTexasFuture.Org or its successor electronic platform and provide
71	73		notice to students that they may apply to the institution using the
72	74		electronic common admission application form found in
73	75		ApplyTexas.Org or via MyTexasFuture.Org.
74	76		SECTION 4. Subchapter C, Chapter 61, Education Code, is
75	77		amended by adding Section 61.0511 to read as follows:
76	78		Sec. 61.0511. Direct Admissions and Financial Aid Portal at
77	79		MyTexasFuture.Org.
78	80		(a) The board shall create, maintain, and administer an
79	81		electronic platform and submission portal, known as My Texas Future
80	82		(MyTexasFuture.Org), to facilitate the awareness and application
81	83		of students into institutions of higher education.
82	84		(b) My Texas Future, or any successor electronic platform
83	85		established pursuant to this section, shall include:
84	86		(1) A link or direct submission portal to the
85	87		electronic common admission application form adopted and
86	88		established pursuant to Section 51, Subchapter S;
87	89		(2) A Direct Admission's program that lists
88	90		institution of higher education to which a student may be directly
89	91		admitted based on the student's profile and information;
90	92		(3) To the greatest extent possible, a list of
91	93		financial aid awards that a student may be eligible to receive
92	94		based on the student's profile and information; and
93	95		(4) The data required by Section 61.09022 to assist
94	96		students in assessing the value of post-secondary credentials by
95	97		program.
96	98		(c) A Texas school district or an open-enrollment charter
97	99		school shall as part of the high school registration process
98	100		annually notify, in a manner prescribed by coordinating board rule,
99	101		each parent or guardian of a student who has earned at least three
100	102		high school course credits or not later than the end of a student's
101	103		first semester of ninth grade:
102	104		(1) Of the option to create or update annually a
103	105		profile and account in My Texas Future;
104	106		(2) That a student or their parent is permitted to
105	107		update or revise their own profile in My Texas Future;
106	108		(3) That a student or parent of a student who creates a
107	109		profile and account under this section, may opt-out of one or more
108	110		programs offered under Subsection (b); and
109	111		(4) Of the graduation requirement under Section
110	112		28.0257 for a student or parent to indicate whether the student
111	113		wishes to opt-in to allowing the board to share the student's data
112	114		and educational records with institutions of higher education for
113	115		the purpose of participating in the Direct Admissions Program
114	116		established under Subsection (b)(2).
115	117		(d) The Texas Education Agency and the Coordinating Board
116	118		shall jointly prepare and post on their respective Internet
117	119		websites a publication that includes the information required to be
118	120		provided under subsection (c) in a form that enables a school
119	121		district or open-enrollment charter school to reproduce the
120	122		publication for distribution under that subsection.
121	123		(e) The Texas Education Agency and each Texas public school
122	124		district or open -enrollment charter school shall make the data
123	125		available to the Coordinating Board necessary to administer this
124	126		Section.
125	127		(f) The board may adopt rules necessary to implement this
126	128		section.
127	129		(g) The board may share a student's contact information in
128	130		MyTexasFuture.Org with an institution of higher education unless
129	131		the student opts-out of sharing the student's contact information.
130	132		Any student information shared with an institution of higher
131	133		education is confidential pursuant to subsection (l). The board
132	134		shall ensure that a student may opt-out of sharing the student's
133	135		contact information with an institution of higher education.
134	136		(l) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, except
135	137		as provided by this section, information that relates to a current,
136	138		former, or prospective applicant or student of an educational
137	139		institution and that is obtained, received, or held by the board for
138	140		the purpose of administering this section or otherwise providing
139	141		assistance with access to postsecondary education is confidential
140	142		and excepted from disclosure under Chapter 552, Government Code,
141	143		and may only be released in conformity with the Family Educational
142	144		Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (20 U.S.C. Section 1232g). The
143	145		Coordinating Board may withhold information prohibited from being
144	146		disclosed under this subsection without requesting a decision from
145	147		the attorney general under Subchapter G, Chapter 552, Government
146	148		Code.
147	149		SECTION 5. Section 61.0511, Education Code, as added by
148	150		this Act, applies beginning with the 2025-2026 academic year.
149	151		SECTION 6. Subsections 28.025 and 28.0257, Education Code,
150	152		as added by this Act, applies beginning with the 2026-2027 academic
151	153		year.
152	154		SECTION 7. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
153	155		a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
154	156		provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
155	157		Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
156	158		Act takes effect September 1, 2025.