Sec. 7.111. HIGH SCHOOL EQUIVALENCY EXAMINATIONS

(a) The board shall provide for the administration of high school equivalency examinations, including administration by the adjutant general's department for students described by Subdivision (2)(C). A person who does not have a high school diploma may take the examination in accordance with rules adopted by the board if the person is:

(1) over 17 years of age;

(2) 16 years of age or older and:

(A) is enrolled in a Job Corps training program under the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (29 U.S.C. Section 2801 et seq.), and its subsequent amendments;

(B) a public agency providing supervision of the person or having custody of the person under a court order recommends that the person take the examination; or

(C) is enrolled in the adjutant general's department's Seaborne ChalleNGe Corps; or

(3) required to take the examination under a justice or municipal court order issued under Article 45.054(a)(1)(C), Code of Criminal Procedure.

(b) The board by rule shall establish and require payment of a fee as a condition to the issuance of a high school equivalency certificate and a copy of the scores of the examinations. The fee must be reasonable and designed to cover the administrative costs of issuing the certificate and a copy of the scores. The board may not require a waiting period between the date a person withdraws from school and the date the person takes the examination unless the period relates to the time between administrations of the examination.

(c) The board by rule shall develop and deliver high school equivalency examinations and provide for the administration of the examinations online. The rules must:

(1) provide a procedure for verifying the identity of the person taking the examination; and

(2) prohibit a person under 18 years of age from taking the examination online.

Added by Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 260, Sec. 1, eff. May 30, 1995. Amended by Acts 1999, 76th Leg., ch. 76, Sec. 8, eff. Sept. 1, 1999; Acts 1999, 76th Leg., ch. 1282, Sec. 1, eff. June 18, 1999; Acts 2001, 77th Leg., ch. 1420, Sec. 4.002, eff. Sept. 1, 2001; Acts 2001, 77th Leg., ch. 1514, Sec. 17, eff. Sept. 1, 2001. Amended by: Acts 2005, 79th Leg., Ch. 818 , Sec. 1, eff. June 17, 2005. Acts 2011, 82nd Leg., R.S., Ch. 1078 , Sec. 1, eff. June 17, 2011.