HBA-SEP H.B. 2109 77(R)BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 2109
By: Farrar
Higher Education
7/16/2001
Enrolled



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

Prior to the 77th Legislature, state law required each undergraduate
student entering an institution of higher education who did not achieve
certain scores on the Texas Assessment of Academic Skills test, American
College Test, or Scholastic Assessment Test to take the Texas Academic
Skills Program (TASP) test to assess whether the student's skill level was
adequate to perform effectively in an undergraduate degree program. There
are exemptions from TASP for students enrolled in distance learning outside
the state, deaf students, students who have graduated with a baccalaureate
degree, and students who are enrolled in a certificate program of one year
or less.  A student who graduates from high school with a higher grade
point average might not need to take a diagnostic test to indicate whether
the student's skill level is adequate to perform effectively in an
undergraduate degree program.  House Bill 2109 exempts from the TASP test
requirement a person who graduates from a public high school or accredited
private high school in any state with a grade point average of 3.5 or
higher on a 4.0 scale or the equivalent and has completed certain
curriculum requirements if that person enrolls in an institution of higher
education on or before the second anniversary of the date the student
graduated from high school. 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that rulemaking
authority is expressly delegated to the Texas Higher Education Coordinating
Board in SECTION 1 (Section 51.306, Education Code) of this bill. 

ANALYSIS

House Bill 2109 amends the Education Code to exempt from the Texas Academic
Skills Program test a person who has graduated from a public high school or
accredited private high school in any state with a grade point average of
3.5 or higher on a 4.0 scale or the equivalent and who has completed
certain curriculum requirements.  The exemption is effective only if that
person enrolls in an institution of higher education on or before the
second anniversary of the date the person graduated from high school.  The
bill requires the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board by rule to
establish standards for determining whether a private school is accredited
and whether a person completed a high school curriculum at an accredited
private high school or at a high school outside of this state that is
equivalent or similar to this state's curriculum requirements. 

EFFECTIVE DATE

June 15, 2001.