These are the Texas House, Senate higher education priority bills to watch this session
State lawmakers have finished filing bills for this session, including several priority pieces of legislation in the Senate and House that address higher education.
House Speaker Dade Phelan designated 20 priority bills for the session. Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, who oversees the Senate, designated 30. Any proposed legislation would need to pass both chambers and be sent to Gov. Greg Abbott to become law.
One of Phelan's priority bills would increase investment in the state's community colleges by rewarding public junior colleges for student success and efforts to address the state's workforce needs. The bill has broad support from local business leaders, education advocates and other community college stakeholders.
In the Senate, Patrick has prioritized restrictions on transgender college student-athletes and bans on tenure and certain diversity, equity and inclusion efforts. Lawmakers have also proposed legislation that would expand an endowment to support research at certain universities and expand eligibility for loan repayment assistance to nurses working as part-time faculty at colleges and universities.
Here’s a look at the higher education priority bills to watch during this legislative session:
House Bill 8
Sponsor: New Boston Republican Rep. Gary VanDeaver
Status: Approved by Higher Education Committee
Companion Bill: Senate Bill 2539
Description: Create a new funding model for community colleges that provides additional funding to schools based on certain metrics, including the number of degrees and certificates awarded and students who transfer to a four-year university. It would also set up an Advanced Career and Education scholarship program for economically disadvantaged high school students in dual credit courses.
More: Majority of Texas House members show initial support for transgender college athlete ban
Senate Bill 15
Sponsor: Galveston Republican Sen. Mayes Middleton
Status: Approved by the Texas Senate
Description: Require student-athletes at public colleges and universities to compete on sports teams that align with their sex assigned at birth based on a student ’s official birth certificate. It would also allow anyone to pursue legal action if the law is violated.
Senate Bill 16
Sponsor: Mineola Republican Sen. Bryan Hughes
Status: Approved by the Education Committee
Description: Prohibit faculty at the state's public higher education institutions from compelling or attempting to compel any student to "adopt a belief that any race, sex, or ethnicity or social, political, or religious belief is inherently superior to any other race, sex, ethnicity, or belief."
More: Texas Senate bill would ban DEI offices, statements at public colleges, universities
Senate Bill 17
Sponsor: Conroe Republican Sen. Brandon Creighton
Status: Approved by the Higher Education Subcommittee
Description: Prohibit public colleges and universities from maintaining diversity, equity and inclusion offices, requiring DEI statements in admissions or hiring, or mandating participation in DEI training. Limit public universities from hiring employees who violate the law for a certain period of time.
Senate Bill 18
Sponsor: Creighton
Status: Approved by the Education Committee
Description: Prohibit public higher education institutions in Texas from offering tenure or “any type of permanent employment status," but it would not apply to current faculty members who have tenure before Sept. 1. Allow a board of regents to establish “an alternate system of tiered employment status” for faculty members — if the system defines each position and requires faculty members to undergo an annual performance evaluation.
More: Texas Senate bill would ban DEI offices, statements at public colleges, universities
Senate Bill 19
Sponsor: Houston Republican Sen. Joan Huffman
Status: Approved by the Finance Committee
Description: Rename the National Research University Fund, which provides funding to "emerging research universities," to the Texas University Fund. It's one part of an effort to expand funding to Texas State University, Texas Tech University, the University of Houston and the University of North Texas and support their research. The second part, proposed in Senate Joint Resolution 5, requires voter approval.
Senate Joint Resolution 5
Sponsor: Huffman
Status: Approved by the Finance Committee
Description: The resolution would propose a constitutional amendment to be decided on by voters Nov. 7 to rename the National Research University Fund in the Texas Constitution as the Texas University Fund and add $2.5 billion from the state's general revenue fund to the Texas University Fund.
Senate Bill 25
Sponsor: Brenham Republican Sen. Lois Kolkhorst
Status: Approved by the Texas Senate
Description: As the state faces a nursing shortage, the bill would expand eligibility for loan repayment assistance to nurses working as part-time faculty at any college or university in Texas. Nurses working full time already qualify for assistance.
This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Texas Legislature: House, Senate higher education bills to watch
