Legislators filed at least 29 bills related to higher education on Tuesday, the first day of filing for the 89th Texas legislative session, which starts in January.
The proposed bills address various higher education topics, including diversity, equity and inclusion, undocumented students and on-campus polling locations. Legislators filed the bills just a day after the Texas Senate Higher Education Subcommittee’s final interim hearing, which mainly focused on DEI and the role of faculty councils in administrative decisions.
The Texas Legislature will review the bills during the next legislative session. If approved by both chambers, the bills will reach Gov. Greg Abbott’s desk, where he will either sign them into law or veto them. The Texan compiled a list of relevant bills:
Senate Bill 17:
Implemented earlier this year, SB 17 prohibits DEI offices, resources and hiring practices at all Texas public universities. If passed, House Bill 393 would effectively reverse SB 17, repealing a section of the state’s Education Code relating to DEI at public state universities. Rep. John H. Bucy III, a Democrat representing Austin, authored the bill.
House Bill 232:
House Bill 232 would modify requirements for students to be considered Texas residents by state universities. The bill cuts a section in the Education Code that makes all Texas high school graduates eligible for in-state status. It also proposes adding a section that would prevent public institutions from considering “a person who is not authorized under federal statute to be present in the United States,” such as an undocumented student, from being considered a Texas resident.
House Bill 160:
House Bill 160 would make undocumented students ineligible for both in-state and out-of-state tuition rates. The bill goes a step further than HB 232, requiring that universities notify law enforcement if they learn a student enrolled at their institution is undocumented.
Senate Bill 147:
Senate Bill 147 would require all higher education institutions with over 5,000 enrolled students to have a designated polling place on their main campus. It also requires a second polling location for universities with over 10,000 students and an extra polling station for every additional 10,000 students. UT currently has two on-campus polling locations, one at the Texas Union and one at the LBJ School of Public Affairs. UT’s student population is just over 50,000, according to data from 2023.
House Bill 771:
If implemented, the bill would allow students to more easily transfer course credit between public state universities. The bill would require state universities to recognize and substitute courses with the same common course number. This would particularly impact transfer students and those taking supplemental courses at other institutions, such as Austin Community College, for credit.
The Texan will continue to monitor proposed bills for the upcoming legislative session.
