HBA-JLV H.B. 2775 77(R)    BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 2775
By: Deshotel
Higher Education
4/8/2001
Introduced



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

The Texas Academic Skills Program (TASP) was created in 1987 as an
instructional program designed to ensure that students attending public
institutions of higher education (institution) in Texas have the academic
skills necessary to perform effectively in college-level work.  Students
not yet proficient in an academic area are required to participate in
developmental education activities.  Institutions have recently asked for
more flexibility in applying TASP rules to their students.  The
institutions expressed concern that different students have different needs
and the institutions would prefer to address those needs in alternative
ways than current TASP rules allow.  The TASP test often proves burdensome
for students who graduated from a public high school before successful
completion of the TASP test was a requirement of all students to enroll in
an institution.  House Bill 2775 provides an exemption from the TASP test
for students who have graduated from a public high school in this state at
least 10 years before the date of the student's enrollment at an
institution. 

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. 

ANALYSIS

House Bill 2775 amends the Education Code to provide that a student is
exempt from the Texas Academic Skills Program (TASP) test if the student
graduated from a public high school in this state at least 10 years before
the date of the student's enrollment at an institution of higher education
(institution).  The institution is authorized to require the student to
successfully complete developmental courses or other developmental
programs, but is prohibited from requiring the student on successful
completion of those courses or programs to take the TASP test.  

EFFECTIVE DATE

On passage, or if the Act does not receive the necessary vote, the Act
takes effect September 1, 2001.