Monitoring the Session

HB 1579

bill creating the Texas State Seal of Bilingualism and Biliteracy

Died in committee

Verdict: No flags

No flagsInitial review
Rep. R.D. "Bobby" GuerraDHouse 41

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 establishing the Texas State Seal of Bilingualism and Biliteracy for public high school students.

Caption from analyzed text · version I.

Summary

No test made just for the seal.

The bill tells the Texas Education Agency to create a state seal for high school graduates who are highly proficient in English and another language. The agency, working with stakeholders, sets the requirements, which cannot rest on a test made just for the seal, and sends each school district an insignia for diplomas and a transcript designation. Every school district must track students who earn the seal and put it on their diplomas and transcripts starting with the 2025-2026 school year.

Labels

Labels: ZOMBIE BILL. Died 2 times: 88R HB 1069 (Died in committee) 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 1069 (Died in committee). 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.GOT HALFWAY. Passed the House on May 6, 2025. Died in the Senate: never got out of the Education K-16 committee.

Receipt

The receipt

89R-HB1579 · 2024-12-11

SOLD BY

Rep. R.D. "Bobby" GuerraDHouse 41 Rep. James TalaricoDHouse 50 Rep. Mihaela PlesaDHouse 70

+ 1 more author, 2 coauthors

ITEM

relating to establishing the Texas State Seal of Bilingualism and Biliteracy for public high school students.

WHAT IT DOES

No test made just for the seal.

The bill tells the Texas Education Agency to create a state seal for high school graduates who are highly proficient in English and another language. The agency, working with stakeholders, sets the requirements, which cannot rest on a test made just for the seal, and sends each school district an insignia for diplomas and a transcript designation. Every school district must track students who earn the seal and put it on their diplomas and transcripts starting with the 2025-2026 school year.

CHARGES

[ ] NONE FOUND

TOTAL

No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

LBB estimate · fiscal note version I · source

Sources

Fiscal note · version I · April 1, 2025

No first-year general revenue figure available here.

LBB published estimates · flow over the stated periods.

Source snapshot 2026-10-19, Central time.

HISTORY

  1. Filed
  2. Read first time
  3. Referred to Public Education
  4. Referred to s/c on Academic & Career-Oriented Education by chair
  5. Scheduled for public hearing in s/c on . . .
  6. Considered by s/c in public hearing
  7. Testimony taken/registration(s) recorded in subcommittee
  8. Left pending in subcommittee
  9. Recalled from subcommittee
  10. Considered in public hearing
  11. Reported favorably w/o amendment(s)
  12. Comte report filed with Committee Coordinator
  13. Committee report distributed
  14. Committee report sent to Calendars
  15. Considered in Calendars
  16. Placed on General State Calendar
  17. Read 2nd time
  18. Amended 1-Guerra
  19. Passed to engrossment as amended
  20. Read 3rd time
  21. Passed
  22. Record vote RV#1472
  23. Statement(s) of vote recorded in Journal
  24. Reported engrossed
  25. Received from the House
  26. Read first time
  27. Referred to Education K-16
FILED UNDER

No verified beat found.

SIGNED FOR BY

House · 105 yea · 36 nay

Sources

House: Final passage · May 6, 2025. Journal. Published stock for this vote. Snapshot 2026-10-19, Central time.

All floor motions and other positions below.

No flags

THANK YOU FOR CHECKING THE RECEIPT

CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY

CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY

R.D. "Bobby" Guerra

Donors

Kickapoo Traditional Tribe of Texas$3KTexas Trial Lawyers Association PAC$2KExxon Mobile PAC$1K

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 11, 2025. 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.

Kickapoo Traditional Tribe of Texas$2,500.00

Kickapoo Traditional Tribe of Texas

$2,500.00

Cash
$2,500.00
Paid by others
$0.00
Total
$2,500.00

Also funds 53 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Aug 15, 2024 to Sep 21, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Name match, not a verified identity: normalized filed name and state.

Team
Sources

Derived itemized flow · on Nov 15, 2024. 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: 100985170.

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC$1,500.00

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC

$1,500.00

Cash
$1,500.00
Paid by others
$0.00
Total
$1,500.00

Also funds 137 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jul 24, 2024 to Oct 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team
Sources

Derived itemized flow · on Dec 12, 2024. 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: 100985170.

Exxon Mobile PAC$1,000.00

Exxon Mobile PAC

$1,000.00

Cash
$1,000.00
Paid by others
$0.00
Total
$1,000.00

Also funds 0 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · on Oct 31, 2024. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Name match, not a verified identity: normalized filed name and state.

Sources

Derived itemized flow · on Oct 31, 2024. 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: 100985170.

Money

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

×

Kickapoo Traditional Tribe of Texas

$2,500.00

Cash
$2,500.00
Paid by others
$0.00
Total
$2,500.00

Also funds 53 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Aug 15, 2024 to Sep 21, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Name match, not a verified identity: normalized filed name and state.

Team
Sources

Derived itemized flow · on Nov 15, 2024. 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: 100985170.

×

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC

$1,500.00

Cash
$1,500.00
Paid by others
$0.00
Total
$1,500.00

Also funds 137 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jul 24, 2024 to Oct 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team
Sources

Derived itemized flow · on Dec 12, 2024. 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: 100985170.

×

Exxon Mobile PAC

$1,000.00

Cash
$1,000.00
Paid by others
$0.00
Total
$1,000.00

Also funds 0 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · on Oct 31, 2024. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Name match, not a verified identity: normalized filed name and state.

Sources

Derived itemized flow · on Oct 31, 2024. 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: 100985170.

Votes1

House May 6, 2025

Yea
105
Nay
36
Present, not voting
2
Absent
7
Excused
0
Names

Named positions matched to lawmakers. See the journal for unmatched names.

House journal

Sources

Record 1472

HB 1579 was passed by (Record 1472): 105 Yeas, 36 Nays, 2 Present, not voting.

Published stock of positions for this vote, except where marked derived.

  • Yea: 105 (published)
  • Nay: 36 (published)
  • Present, not voting: 2 (published)
  • Absent: 7 (derived from named list)
  • Excused: 0 (derived from named list)

House journal. Source snapshot 2026-10-19, Central time.

Witnesses11
For
9
Against
0
On
2
Names

For

  • Association of Texas Professional Educators (ATPE)1 registration
  • Every Texan1 registration
  • IDRA (Intercultural Development Research Association)1 registration
  • Texans Care for Children1 registration
  • Texas AFT1 registration
  • Texas Association for Bilingual Education1 registration
  • Texas Public Charter Schools Association1 registration
  • Texas state teachers association1 registration
  • United Ways of Texas1 registration

On

  • Self1 registration
  • TEA1 registration
Sources

11 parsed registrations across the loaded witness lists.

Derived stock of witness registrations. Repeated appearances count separately. Organizations and self-representation appear as printed.

House witness list. Source snapshot 2026-10-20, Central time.

Fiscal

No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

LBB estimate · fiscal note version I · source

Sources

Fiscal note · version I · April 1, 2025

No first-year general revenue figure available here.

LBB published estimates · flow over the stated periods.

Source snapshot 2026-10-19, Central time.

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 1069

by Rep. Guerra, same lead author · Died in committee · same text

Introduced text

Last action, Mar 2, 2023: Referred to Public Education

Relating to establishing the Texas State Seal of Bilingualism and Biliteracy for public high school students.

Caption, 88R bill history

Sources

Texas House · Filed Dec 11, 2024

05/14/2025 S Referred to Education K-16

Texas Legislature Online · Introduced · House Committee Report · Engrossed

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

Coauthors
Lulu FloresDHouse 51 Jolanda "Jo" JonesDHouse 147

House committee · Public Education · Committee vote 15 aye, 0 nay · Out of committee

Senate committee · Education K-16 · Final status: Died in committee

Companion

SB 1414 by Zaffirini (identical)

Subjects

Education--Bilingual

Education--School Districts

EDUCATION AGENCY, TEXAS

EDUCATION, COMMISSIONER OF

Text

The text as introduced · 355 words

89R8386 AND-D

By: Guerra
H.B. No. 1579

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to establishing the Texas State Seal of Bilingualism and

Biliteracy for public high school students.

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

SECTION 1. Subchapter B, Chapter 28, Education Code, is

amended by adding Section 28.028 to read as follows:

Sec. 28.028. TEXAS STATE SEAL OF BILINGUALISM AND

BILITERACY. (a) In this section, "seal" means the Texas State Seal

of Bilingualism and Biliteracy established under Subsection (b).

(b) The agency shall establish a seal to recognize high

school graduates who have attained a high level of proficiency in

comprehending, speaking, reading, and writing in both English and a

language other than English.

(c) The agency, in consultation with appropriate

stakeholders, shall:

(1) determine minimum requirements for earning the

seal, which:

(A) must be sufficiently rigorous to indicate to

an employer or postsecondary institution that a student who has

earned the seal is biliterate;

(B) may include completion of a project,

activity, or portfolio; and

(C) may not condition receipt of the seal on an

examination created for that purpose; and

(2) prepare and deliver to each school district an

insignia that can be affixed or stamped on the diploma of and adopt

a designation to be included on the transcript of a student who has

satisfied requirements for earning the seal.

(d) Each school district shall:

(1) maintain appropriate records to identify students

who have earned the seal; and

(2) for each student who has satisfied requirements

for earning the seal:

(A) affix the seal's insignia to the student's

diploma; and

(B) include in the student's transcript that the

student earned the seal.

(e) The commissioner shall adopt rules as necessary to

administer this section.

SECTION 2. This Act applies beginning with the 2025-2026

school year.

SECTION 3. 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.