HB 2893

bill letting community colleges offer more bachelor’s degrees

Died in committee

Verdict: No flags

No flagsInitial review

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 authorization by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board for certain public junior colleges to offer certain baccalaureate degree programs.

Caption from analyzed text · version I.

Summary

Applied science and education, where there’s a workforce need.

The bill lets the state higher education coordinating board approve bachelor's degree programs at community colleges that offer degrees in applied science or in the field of education, and that show a workforce need. It touches public junior colleges and the students who could earn four-year degrees there. It also raises the cap on bachelor's programs a single community college can run at one time from five to eight, starting with the 2025-2026 academic year.

Labels

Labels: NEVER GOT A HEARING. Filed Feb 14, 2025 and referred to the House Higher Education committee. No public hearing. The bill died.

Receipt

The receipt

89R-HB2893 · 2025-02-14

SOLD BY

Rep. Jared PattersonRHouse 106

Rep. Jeff LeachRHouse 67

ITEM

relating to authorization by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board for certain public junior colleges to offer certain baccalaureate degree programs.

WHAT IT DOES

Applied science and education, where there’s a workforce need.

CHARGES

[ ] NONE FOUND

TOTAL

No fiscal note in the loaded record.

HISTORY

Feb 14, 2025Filed
Mar 19, 2025Read first time
Mar 19, 2025Referred to Higher Education
May 6, 2025Scheduled for public hearing on . . .
May 6, 2025Withdrawn from schedule

FILED UNDER

No verified beat found.

No flags

THANK YOU FOR CHECKING THE RECEIPT

CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY

Jared Patterson

Donors

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC$133K Texas Sands PAC$85K Texas Conservative Majority PAC$58K

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.

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC$132,750.00

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC

$132,750.00

Cash: $100,000.00
Paid by others: $32,750.00
Total: $132,750.00

polling $32,750.00

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 25, 2025 to Oct 7, 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: 100996442, 101018590, 101035748, 101067950, 101072483.

Texas Sands PAC$84,800.00

Texas Sands PAC

$84,800.00

Cash: $68,000.00
Paid by others: $16,800.00
Total: $84,800.00

polling $16,800.00

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 4, 2024 to Oct 15, 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: 100976997, 101018590, 101035748, 101072483.

Texas Conservative Majority PAC$57,950.00

Texas Conservative Majority PAC

$57,950.00

Cash: $0.00
Paid by others: $57,950.00
Total: $57,950.00

canvassing $35,000.00polling $22,950.00

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 · Feb 12, 2026 to Sep 22, 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: 101035748, 101067950.

Money

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

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC

$132,750.00

Cash: $100,000.00
Paid by others: $32,750.00
Total: $132,750.00

polling $32,750.00

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 25, 2025 to Oct 7, 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: 100996442, 101018590, 101035748, 101067950, 101072483.

Texas Sands PAC

$84,800.00

Cash: $68,000.00
Paid by others: $16,800.00
Total: $84,800.00

polling $16,800.00

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 4, 2024 to Oct 15, 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: 100976997, 101018590, 101035748, 101072483.

Texas Conservative Majority PAC

$57,950.00

Cash: $0.00
Paid by others: $57,950.00
Total: $57,950.00

canvassing $35,000.00polling $22,950.00

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 · Feb 12, 2026 to Sep 22, 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: 101035748, 101067950.

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 Feb 14, 2025

05/06/2025 H Withdrawn from schedule

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 · Higher Education · Final status: Died in committee

Companion

SB 1424 by Paxton (very similar)

Subjects

Education--Higher--Institutions & Programs

Education--Junior College Districts

EDUCATION--HIGHER--CURRICULUM

Text

The text as introduced · 248 words

89R8432 AND-F

By: Patterson
H.B. No. 2893

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to authorization by the Texas Higher Education

Coordinating Board for certain public junior colleges to offer

certain baccalaureate degree programs.

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

SECTION 1. Section 130.303(b), Education Code, is amended

to read as follows:

(b) The coordinating board may authorize baccalaureate

degree programs at one or more public junior colleges if the public

junior college:

(1) offers [ that offer ] a degree program in one of the

following:

(A) the field of applied science, including a

degree program in the field of applied science with an emphasis in

early childhood education, applied technology, or nursing ; or

(B) the field of education; and

(2) demonstrates [ have demonstrated ] a workforce need

for the program .

SECTION 2. Section 130.306(a), Education Code, is amended

to read as follows:

(a) A public junior college offering a baccalaureate degree

program under this subchapter may not offer more than eight [ five ]

baccalaureate degree programs at any time.

SECTION 3. The change in law made by this Act applies

beginning with the 2025-2026 academic year.

SECTION 4. 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.