HBA-AMW C.S.S.B. 179 77(R)BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisC.S.S.B. 179
By: Fraser
Higher Education
4/4/2001
Committee Report (Substituted)



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

Current law provides that each undergraduate student who enters a public
institution of higher education must take the Texas Academic Skills Program
(TASP) test or Stanford Achievement Test before enrolling in college-level
course work.  C.S.S.B. 179 exempts a student who is a member of the United
States armed forces or a dependant of a member of the United States armed
forces from taking the TASP test or the Stanford Achievement Test, as
appropriate.  

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

C.S.S.B. 179 amends the Education Code to add a student who is a member of
the United States armed forces or a dependant of a member of the United
States armed forces to the list of students who are exempt from taking the
Texas Academic Skills Program test.  The bill exempts a deaf student who is
a member of the United States armed forces or a dependant of a member of
the United States armed forces from taking the Stanford Achievement Test.   

EFFECTIVE DATE

On passage, or if the Act does not receive the necessary vote, the Act
takes effect September 1, 2001. The bill applies only to students who
enroll for a semester or term that begins on or after the effective date of
the bill. 

COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL TO SUBSTITUTE

C.S.S.B. 179 differs from the original bill by exempting a student who is a
member of the United States armed forces or a dependant of a member of the
United States armed forces, rather than a student who is serving on active
duty as a member of the United States armed forces, from the Texas Academic
Skills Program test and the Stanford Achievement Test.  The substitute
removes the provision in the original bill which provided that the student
on active duty must not be seeking a degree or certificate.  The substitute
differs from the original bill by exempting a student who is a citizen of a
country other than the United States and is not seeking a degree, rather
than who is not seeking a degree or certificate. The substitute provides
that the bill applies only to students who enroll for a semester or term
that begins on or after the effective date of the bill.