Monitoring the Session

HB 1176

bill raising the bar to veto new charters

Died in committee

Verdict: No flags

No flagsInitial review
Rep. Charles CunninghamRHouse 127

Initial review · graded Oct 20, 2026 · Headline, summary and grade are analysis of the bill text, not a finding about any person · How we grade

Caption

relating to the approval of open-enrollment charter schools.

Caption from analyzed text · version I.

Summary

A veto needs two-thirds of total membership, up from a majority.

The bill makes it harder for the State Board of Education to block a new open-enrollment charter school that the education commissioner proposes to grant. Today a majority of board members present and voting can veto a proposed charter; under this bill, a veto would need two-thirds of the board's total membership. Proposed charters would take effect unless that larger bloc votes no within 90 days, so more charters would likely get through.

Labels

Labels: ZOMBIE BILL. Died 2 times: 88R HB 2890 (Did not pass) and this bill (Died in committee). Checked against 88R only.BACK FROM THE DEAD. Same text as a bill filed before that died: 88R HB 2890 (Did not pass). Filed in 2 sessions, counting this one. Checked against 88R only.TRY NO. 2. Filed in 2 sessions: 88R and 89R. Checked against 88R only.NEVER GOT A HEARING. Filed Nov 12, 2024 and referred to the House Public Education committee. No public hearing. The bill died.

Receipt

The receipt

89R-HB1176 · 2024-11-12

SOLD BY

Rep. Charles CunninghamRHouse 127

ITEM

relating to the approval of open-enrollment charter schools.

WHAT IT DOES

A veto needs two-thirds of total membership, up from a majority.

The bill makes it harder for the State Board of Education to block a new open-enrollment charter school that the education commissioner proposes to grant. Today a majority of board members present and voting can veto a proposed charter; under this bill, a veto would need two-thirds of the board's total membership. Proposed charters would take effect unless that larger bloc votes no within 90 days, so more charters would likely get through.

CHARGES

[ ] NONE FOUND

TOTAL

No fiscal note in the loaded record.

HISTORY

  1. Filed
  2. Read first time
  3. Referred to Public Education
FILED UNDER

No verified beat found.

No flags

THANK YOU FOR CHECKING THE RECEIPT

CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY

CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY

Charles Cunningham

Donors

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC$334KTexas Conservative Majority PAC$292KCourt Reform Action for Families Texas PAC$100K

Not tied to this bill.

Sources

The author's campaign account only. Own money and internal transfers are separate on the member page.

Derived itemized flow · Oct 28, 2024 to Oct 24, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC$334,135.18

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC

$334,135.18

Cash
$35,000.00
Paid by others
$299,135.18
Total
$334,135.18
advertising $144,032.71mail $133,992.12polling $21,110.35

Also funds 124 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jul 10, 2024 to Oct 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team
Sources

Derived itemized flow · Jun 27, 2025 to Oct 21, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.

Report IDs: 101010682, 101031839, 101062565, 101068024, 101072258.

Texas Conservative Majority PAC$291,600.00

Texas Conservative Majority PAC

$291,600.00

Cash
$100,000.00
Paid by others
$191,600.00
Total
$291,600.00
canvassing $175,000.00polling $16,600.00

Also funds 42 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jan 23, 2026 to Oct 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team
Sources

Derived itemized flow · Aug 14, 2026 to Oct 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.

Report IDs: 101068024, 101072258.

Court Reform Action for Families Texas PAC$100,000.00

Court Reform Action for Families Texas PAC

$100,000.00

Cash
$100,000.00
Paid by others
$0.00
Total
$100,000.00

Also funds 32 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Feb 20, 2026 to Oct 14, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team
Sources

Derived itemized flow · Sep 23, 2026 to Oct 6, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.

Report IDs: 101068024, 101072258.

Money

Missing data does not establish zero giving. Display amounts are rounded.

×

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC

$334,135.18

Cash
$35,000.00
Paid by others
$299,135.18
Total
$334,135.18
advertising $144,032.71mail $133,992.12polling $21,110.35

Also funds 124 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jul 10, 2024 to Oct 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team
Sources

Derived itemized flow · Jun 27, 2025 to Oct 21, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.

Report IDs: 101010682, 101031839, 101062565, 101068024, 101072258.

×

Texas Conservative Majority PAC

$291,600.00

Cash
$100,000.00
Paid by others
$191,600.00
Total
$291,600.00
canvassing $175,000.00polling $16,600.00

Also funds 42 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jan 23, 2026 to Oct 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team
Sources

Derived itemized flow · Aug 14, 2026 to Oct 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.

Report IDs: 101068024, 101072258.

×

Court Reform Action for Families Texas PAC

$100,000.00

Cash
$100,000.00
Paid by others
$0.00
Total
$100,000.00

Also funds 32 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Feb 20, 2026 to Oct 14, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team
Sources

Derived itemized flow · Sep 23, 2026 to Oct 6, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.

Report IDs: 101068024, 101072258.

Votes

No floor vote loaded for this bill.

Fiscal

No fiscal note in the loaded record.

How this was graded

Analysis of text version I by claude-opus-5-5, Oct 20, 2026, against the published rubric.

FILED BEFORE

Filed 2 times: 88R and 89R. Checked against 88R only.

88R HB 2890

by Rep. Cunningham, same lead author · Did not pass · same text

Introduced text

Last action, May 11, 2023: Placed on General State Calendar

Relating to the approval of open-enrollment charter schools.

Caption, 88R bill history

Sources

Texas House · Filed Nov 12, 2024

03/07/2025 H Referred to Public Education: Mar 7 2025 2:33PM

Texas Legislature Online · Introduced

Data snapshot Oct 26, 2026 at 4:20 AM CDT. Grades, charges, quotes and corrections follow the published record.

House committee · Public Education · Final status: Died in committee

Subjects

Education--Primary & Secondary--Charter Schools

EDUCATION, COMMISSIONER OF

EDUCATION, STATE BOARD OF

Text

The text as introduced · 190 words

89R81 BDP-D

By: Cunningham
H.B. No. 1176

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to the approval of open-enrollment charter schools.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

SECTION 1. Section 12.101(b-0), Education Code, is amended

to read as follows:

(b-0) The commissioner shall notify the State Board of

Education of each charter the commissioner proposes to grant under

this subchapter. Unless, before the 90th day after the date on

which the board receives the notice from the commissioner,

two-thirds [ a majority ] of the total membership [ members ] of the

board [ present and voting ] vote against the grant of that charter,

the commissioner's proposal to grant the charter takes effect. The

board may not deliberate or vote on any grant of a charter that is

not proposed by the commissioner.

SECTION 2. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives

a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as

provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this

Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this

Act takes effect September 1, 2025.