A college portal account or opt-out before graduation

The text as introduced · 1,288 words

By: Wilson
H.B. No. 4909

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to the creation of an electronic platform and submission

portal, known as My Texas Future, to facilitate the awareness and

application of public high school students into institutions of

higher education using the electronic common admission application

form.

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

SECTION 1. Chapter 28.025(c), Education Code, is amended to

read as follows:

(c) A person may receive a diploma if the person is eligible

for a diploma under Section 28.0251. In other cases, a student may

graduate and receive a diploma only if:

(1) the student successfully completes the curriculum

requirements identified by the State Board of Education under

Subsection (a) and complies with Sections 28.0256, 28.0257 , and

39.025; or

(2) the student successfully completes an

individualized education program developed under Section 29.005 .

SECTION 2. Chapter 28.0257, Education Code, is added to

read as follows:

Sec.28.0257. DIRECT ADMISSIONS DATA SHARING OPT-IN ELECTION

FOR HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION. (a) In this section:

(1) "Coordinating board" means the Texas Higher

Education Coordinating Board.

(2) "Institution of higher education" has the meaning

assigned by Section 61.003.

(b) Except as provided by Subsection (c), before graduating

from high school, each student must elect whether to opt-in to

allowing the coordinating board to share the student's data and

education records, as necessary, with institutions of higher

education to allow the student to participate in the direct

admissions program established by the Coordinating Board pursuant

to Education Code 61.0511(b)(2).

(c) A student is not required to comply with Subsection (b)

if:

(1) The student's parent or other person standing in

parental relation submits a signed form indicating that the parent

or other person authorizes the student to decline to complete and

submit information necessary to participate in a program offered

under subsection (b);

(2) The student signs and submits the form described

by Subdivision (1) on the student's own behalf if the student is 18

years of age or older or the student's disabilities of minority have

been removed for general purposes under Chapter 31, Family Code; or

(3) A school counselor authorizes in writing the

student to decline to complete and submit the information necessary

to participate in a program offered under subsection (b).

(d) Each school district or open-enrollment charter school

shall use a form adopted by the Coordinating Board, in consultation

with the Texas Education Agency, to allow a student to opt-out

pursuant to subsection (c). The form shall :

(1) Provide the student or the student's parent or

other person standing in parental relation, as applicable, the

opportunity to elect whether to share the student's data or

education records, as necessary, with institutions of higher

education to facilitate the student's participation in a program

offered under subsection (b); and

(2) Be made available in English, Spanish, and any

other language spoken by a majority of the students enrolled in a

bilingual education or special language program under Subchapter B,

Chapter 29, in the district or school.

SECTION 3 . Subchapter C, Chapter 51, Education Code, is

amended by adding subsection 51.763(d) to read as follows:

(d) Each institution of higher education shall publish

prominently on its admission application website a link to

MyTexasFuture.Org or its successor electronic platform and provide

notice to students that they may apply to the institution using the

electronic common admission application form found in

ApplyTexas.Org or via MyTexasFuture.Org .

SECTION 4. Subchapter C, Chapter 61, Education Code, is

amended by adding Section 61.0511 to read as follows:

Sec. 61.0511. Direct Admissions and Financial Aid Portal at

MyTexasFuture.Org.

(a) The board shall create, maintain, and administer an

electronic platform and submission portal, known as My Texas Future

(MyTexasFuture.Org), to facilitate the awareness and application

of students into institutions of higher education.

(b) My Texas Future, or any successor electronic platform

established pursuant to this section, shall include:

(1) A link or direct submission portal to the

electronic common admission application form adopted and

established pursuant to Section 51, Subchapter S;

(2) A Direct Admission's program that lists

institution of higher education to which a student may be directly

admitted based on the student's profile and information;

(3) To the greatest extent possible, a list of

financial aid awards that a student may be eligible to receive

based on the student's profile and information; and

(4) The data required by Section 61.09022 to assist

students in assessing the value of post-secondary credentials by

program.

(c) A Texas school district or an open-enrollment charter

school shall as part of the high school registration process

annually notify, in a manner prescribed by coordinating board rule,

each parent or guardian of a student who has earned at least three

high school course credits or not later than the end of a student's

first semester of ninth grade:

(1) Of the option to create or update annually a

profile and account in My Texas Future;

(2) That a student or their parent is permitted to

update or revise their own profile in My Texas Future;

(3) That a student or parent of a student who creates a

profile and account under this section, may opt-out of one or more

programs offered under Subsection (b); and

(4) Of the graduation requirement under Section

28.0257 for a student or parent to indicate whether the student

wishes to opt-in to allowing the board to share the student's data

and educational records with institutions of higher education for

the purpose of participating in the Direct Admissions Program

established under Subsection (b)(2).

(d) The Texas Education Agency and the Coordinating Board

shall jointly prepare and post on their respective Internet

websites a publication that includes the information required to be

provided under subsection (c) in a form that enables a school

district or open-enrollment charter school to reproduce the

publication for distribution under that subsection.

(e) The Texas Education Agency and each Texas public school

district or open -enrollment charter school shall make the data

available to the Coordinating Board necessary to administer this

Section.

(f) The board may adopt rules necessary to implement this

section.

(g) The board may share a student's contact information in

MyTexasFuture.Org with an institution of higher education unless

the student opts-out of sharing the student's contact information.

Any student information shared with an institution of higher

education is confidential pursuant to subsection (l). The board

shall ensure that a student may opt-out of sharing the student's

contact information with an institution of higher education.

(l) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, except

as provided by this section, information that relates to a current,

former, or prospective applicant or student of an educational

institution and that is obtained, received, or held by the board for

the purpose of administering this section or otherwise providing

assistance with access to postsecondary education is confidential

and excepted from disclosure under Chapter 552, Government Code,

and may only be released in conformity with the Family Educational

Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (20 U.S.C. Section 1232g). The

Coordinating Board may withhold information prohibited from being

disclosed under this subsection without requesting a decision from

the attorney general under Subchapter G, Chapter 552, Government

Code.

SECTION 5. Section 61.0511, Education Code, as added by

this Act, applies beginning with the 2025-2026 academic year.

SECTION 6. Subsections 28.025 and 28.0257, Education Code,

as added by this Act, applies beginning with the 2026-2027 academic

year.

SECTION 7. 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.