HB21-1067 Summary

• Governing boards of Colorado state-supported baccalaureate and graduate institutions may, but are not required to, use national assessment test scores (ACT or SAT) as an eligibility criterion for first-time freshman admissions.

• Admission standards must continue to use high school academic performance indicators (GPA, class rank, content standard assessments) and may consider rigor of coursework; institutions may use alternative criteria for up to 20% of admitted freshmen annually.

• Applicants may voluntarily submit test scores to institutions that do not require them, and those institutions must consider the scores as part of the admission decision.

• The Department of Education must publish annual reports by June 30 each year beginning in 2023, tracking test score submission rates, enrollment, retention, and graduation rates disaggregated by race, ethnicity, and gender to assess diversity and student outcomes.

• The Colorado Commission on Higher Education must submit comprehensive analyses of annual reports by June 30, 2027 and 2032, with joint legislative meetings required to discuss findings on how optional test scores impact higher education access.