HBA-JLV H.B. 2483 77(R)    BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 2483
By: Wilson
Higher Education
4/8/2001
Introduced



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

Currently, the top ten percent of Texas high school graduates are
automatically admitted into state funded institutions of higher education
(institution).  According to the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board,
enrollment in Texas institutions is expected to reach well over one million
students by 2005.  This figure represents an increase of more than 72,000
students over a five-year period of enrollment.  Many residents would like
to give preference to the students of Texas in an effort to ensure that
these students are enabled to attend publicly funded institutions.  House
Bill 2483 prohibits an institution from admitting any person who is not a
Texas resident to the institution unless the institution has previously
offered admission to each of the applicants for admission who are Texas
residents and who meet certain other requirements. 

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 2483 amends the Education Code to prohibit colleges, schools, or
degree or certificate programs from admitting or offering to admit any
person who is not a Texas resident for tuition purposes unless the
institution of higher education (institution)  has previously made a
written offer of admission to each applicant who submits a complete
application within the time provided by the institution, is a Texas
resident, and meets the minimum requirements for admission to the college,
school, or program determined according to the institution's rules and any
publicly available catalog or similar document.  The bill provides that a
person's status as a Texas resident is determined as of the date the person
would first enroll in the college, school, or program if admitted, and a
person is not a Texas resident for purposes of tuition solely because the
person is eligible to pay tuition at the resident tuition rate.   

The bill  requires each institution to admit students to the institution
and to a college, school, or degree or certificate program of the
institution under the uniform admission system. 

EFFECTIVE DATE

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