Relating to college entrance examinations considered for admission to certain public institutions of higher education.

89(R) HB 4701 - House Committee Report version - Bill Text

89R24073 RDR-F

By: Leo Wilson, Shaheen, Shofner

H.B. No. 4701

Substitute the following for H.B. No. 4701:

By: Shaheen

C.S.H.B. No. 4701

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to college entrance examinations considered for admission

to certain public institutions of higher education.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

SECTION 1. Section 51.803(a), Education Code, is amended to

read as follows:

(a) Subject to Subsection (a-1), each general academic

teaching institution shall admit an applicant for admission to the

institution as an undergraduate student if the applicant graduated

with a grade point average in the top 10 percent of the student's

high school graduating class in one of the two school years

preceding the academic year for which the applicant is applying for

admission and:

(1) the applicant:

(A) graduated from a public or private high

school in this state accredited by a generally recognized

accrediting organization or from a high school operated by the

United States Department of Defense; or

(B) completed a nontraditional secondary

education as defined by Section 51.9241;

(2) the applicant:

(A) successfully completed:

(i) at a public high school, the curriculum

requirements established under Section 28.025 for the

distinguished level of achievement under the foundation high school

program; or

(ii) at a high school to which Section

28.025 does not apply, a curriculum that is equivalent in content

and rigor to the distinguished level of achievement under the

foundation high school program; or

(B)
achieved a score set by the Texas Higher

Education Coordinating Board on a college entrance examination

designated by coordinating board rule
[
satisfied ACT's College

Readiness Benchmarks on the ACT assessment applicable to the

applicant or earned on the SAT assessment a score of at least 1,500

out of 2,400 or the equivalent
]; and

(3) if the applicant graduated from a high school

operated by the United States Department of Defense, the applicant

is a Texas resident under Section 54.052 or is entitled to pay

tuition fees at the rate provided for Texas residents under Section

54.241(d) for the term or semester to which admitted.

SECTION 2. Section 51.805(a), Education Code, is amended to

read as follows:

(a) A graduating student who does not qualify for admission

under Section 51.803 or 51.804 may apply to any general academic

teaching institution if the student:

(1) successfully completed:

(A) at a public high school, the curriculum

requirements established under Section 28.025 for the foundation

high school program; or

(B) at a high school to which Section 28.025 does

not apply, a curriculum that is equivalent in content and rigor to

the foundation high school program; or

(2)
achieved a score set by the Texas Higher Education

Coordinating Board on a college entrance examination designated by

coordinating board rule
[
satisfied ACT's College Readiness

Benchmarks on the ACT assessment applicable to the applicant or

earned on the SAT assessment a score of at least 1,500 out of 2,400

or the equivalent
].

SECTION 3. The changes in law made by this Act apply

beginning with admissions to a general academic teaching

institution for the 2026 fall semester. Admissions to a general

academic teaching institution for a term or semester before the

2026 fall semester are governed by the law in effect immediately

before the effective date of this Act, and the former law is

continued in effect for that purpose.

SECTION 4. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives

a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as

provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this

Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this

Act takes effect September 1, 2025.