H.B. No. 4701 amends the Education Code to modify the criteria for college admissions at certain public institutions of higher education in Texas. The bill stipulates that applicants who graduated in the top 10 percent of their high school class can gain admission if they meet specific requirements. Notably, the bill introduces a new provision allowing applicants to qualify by achieving a score set by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board on a designated college entrance examination. This replaces the previous requirement of meeting ACT's College Readiness Benchmarks or achieving a minimum SAT score of 1,500 out of 2,400.

Additionally, the bill allows students who do not qualify under the existing admission criteria to apply if they have completed the foundation high school program or achieved the new college entrance examination score. The changes will take effect for admissions starting in the fall semester of 2026, while admissions for earlier terms will continue to follow the previous law. The bill is set to take effect immediately if it receives a two-thirds majority vote in both houses; otherwise, it will take effect on September 1, 2025.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: Education Code 39.0261, Education Code 51.803, Education Code 54.241 (Education Code 39, Education Code 51, Education Code 54)
House Committee Report: Education Code 51.803, Education Code 54.241 (Education Code 39, Education Code 51, Education Code 54)