HBA-MPM H.B. 547 76(R)    BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 547
By: Maxey
Higher Education
2/11/1999
Introduced



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

In January 1998, a committee of the Texas Higher Education Coordinating
Board recommended that standardized test scores not be used as the primary
factor when public state universities considered admissions.  Effective in
fall 1998, in conformance with this recommendation, students ranking in the
top 10 percent of their class automatically became eligible for admission
to four-year, public state universities, regardless of their standardized
test scores.  H.B. 547 prohibits the use of standardized test scores as an
evaluation of an applicant for admission to any higher education program or
for financial aid. 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that this bill does
not expressly delegate any additional rulemaking authority to a state
officer, department, agency, or institution. 

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1.  Amends Section 51.924, Education Code, as follows:  

Sec. 51.294.  New title:  PROHIBITION ON REQUIRING STANDARDIZED ASSESSMENT
INSTRUMENTS IN ADMISSIONS.  Prohibits an institution of higher education
from requiring an applicant for admission to the institution, a degree
program, school, or college within the institution to report, submit, or
disclose the applicant's test score or other result from the administration
of standardized assessment, achievement, or admissions test, including such
tests as the PSAT, SAT, ACT, GRE, GMAT, MCAT, or LSAT.  Deletes existing
text. 

SECTION 2.  Amends Subchapter A, Chapter 56, Education Code, by adding
Section 56.004, as follows: 

Sec. 56.004.  PROHIBITION ON REQUIRING TEST RESULTS IN FINANCIAL AID
DETERMINATION.  Prohibits an institution of higher education, the Texas
Higher Education Coordinating Board, or any person acting on behalf of
these entities from requiring a student or applicant for a scholarship or
other financial aid to report, submit, or disclose the student's or
applicant's test score or other result from the administration of a
standardized assessment, achievement, or admissions test, including such
tests as the PSAT, SAT, ACT, GRE, GMAT, MCAT, or LSAT. 

SECTION 3.  Provides that this Act takes place beginning with admissions or
awards of financial aid for the 2000 fall semester. 

SECTION 4.  Emergency clause.
           Effective date:  90 days after adjournment.