Monitoring the Session

HB 1785

bill letting homeless 16-year-olds take the equivalency exam

Died in committee

Verdict: No flags

No flagsInitial review
Rep. John H. Bucy IIIDHouse 136

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 eligibility of a person who is homeless to take the high school equivalency examination.

Caption from analyzed text · version I.

Summary

Age 16, instead of waiting until after 17.

The bill lets a person who is homeless take the high school equivalency exam starting at age 16 instead of waiting until after age 17. It touches homeless teens aged 16 and 17 who have no diploma, and the state board that writes the exam rules. The board may not make these homeless teens get a parent's or guardian's consent before taking the exam, starting with the 2025-2026 school year.

Labels

Labels: NEVER GOT A HEARING. Filed Jan 8, 2025 and referred to the House Public Education committee. No public hearing. The bill died.

Receipt

The receipt

89R-HB1785 · 2025-01-08

SOLD BY

Rep. John H. Bucy IIIDHouse 136

ITEM

relating to the eligibility of a person who is homeless to take the high school equivalency examination.

WHAT IT DOES

Age 16, instead of waiting until after 17.

The bill lets a person who is homeless take the high school equivalency exam starting at age 16 instead of waiting until after age 17. It touches homeless teens aged 16 and 17 who have no diploma, and the state board that writes the exam rules. The board may not make these homeless teens get a parent's or guardian's consent before taking the exam, starting with the 2025-2026 school year.

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

John H. Bucy III

Donors

Agave Democratic Infrastructure Fund$56KAdam Loewy$20,000Texas Sands PAC$17K

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 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.

Agave Democratic Infrastructure Fund$56,000.00

Agave Democratic Infrastructure Fund

$56,000.00

Cash
$25,000.00
Paid by others
$31,000.00
Total
$56,000.00
consulting $31,000.00

Also funds 5 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Nov 22, 2024 to Oct 12, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Sources

Derived itemized flow · Nov 22, 2024 to Oct 12, 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: 100986907, 101059773, 101069326, 101072293.

Adam Loewy$20,000.00
Texas Sands PAC$17,000.00

Texas Sands PAC

$17,000.00

Cash
$17,000.00
Paid by others
$0.00
Total
$17,000.00

Also funds 121 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jul 3, 2024 to Oct 24, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team
Sources

Derived itemized flow · Dec 9, 2024 to Sep 29, 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: 100986907, 101032801, 101059773, 101072293.

Money

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

×

Agave Democratic Infrastructure Fund

$56,000.00

Cash
$25,000.00
Paid by others
$31,000.00
Total
$56,000.00
consulting $31,000.00

Also funds 5 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Nov 22, 2024 to Oct 12, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Sources

Derived itemized flow · Nov 22, 2024 to Oct 12, 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: 100986907, 101059773, 101069326, 101072293.

×

Texas Sands PAC

$17,000.00

Cash
$17,000.00
Paid by others
$0.00
Total
$17,000.00

Also funds 121 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jul 3, 2024 to Oct 24, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team
Sources

Derived itemized flow · Dec 9, 2024 to Sep 29, 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: 100986907, 101032801, 101059773, 101072293.

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.

Sources

Texas House · Filed Jan 8, 2025

03/14/2025 H Referred to Public Education: Mar 14 2025 2:36PM

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--General

Family--Parent & Child

Housing--Homeless Persons

GED & HIGH SCHOOL EQUIVALENCY EXAMINATIONS

EDUCATION, STATE BOARD OF

Text

The text as introduced · 286 words

89R3664 RDR-F

By: Bucy
H.B. No. 1785

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to the eligibility of a person who is homeless to take the

high school equivalency examination.

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

SECTION 1. Section 7.111, Education Code, is amended by

amending Subsection (a-1) and adding Subsection (a-2) to read as

follows:

(a-1) A person who does not have a high school diploma may

take the examination in accordance with rules adopted by the board

if the person is:

(1) over 17 years of age;

(2) 16 years of age or older and:

(A) is enrolled in a Job Corps training program

under the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (29 U.S.C. Section 2801

et seq.), and its subsequent amendments;

(B) a public agency providing supervision of the

person or having custody of the person under a court order

recommends that the person take the examination; [ or ]

(C) is enrolled in the Texas Military

Department's Seaborne ChalleNGe Corps; or

(D) is a person who is homeless; or

(3) required to take the examination under a court

order issued under Section 65.103(a)(3), Family Code.

(a-2) The board may not adopt a rule under Subsection (a-1)

requiring a person who is homeless to obtain the consent of the

person's parent or guardian before taking the examination.

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.