Monitoring the Session

HB 3147

bill adding state money and fund balances to school budgets

Died in committee

Verdict: No flags

No flagsInitial review
Rep. Hillary HicklandRHouse 55

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 fiscal reporting by public schools.

Caption from analyzed text · version I.

Summary

Districts publish expected state money and explain their fund balances.

The bill adds two items to the budget summary every Texas school district must publish: the money the district expects from the state under the school finance chapters, and the size of its fund balances with an explanation. It also makes each district send the Texas Education Agency a yearly report on what share of its contract spending went to contracts that help student outcomes, as the commissioner defines by rule. School districts and the education commissioner are touched, and parents and taxpayers get more numbers on reserves, state aid and contract spending starting September 1, 2025.

Labels

Labels: NEVER GOT A HEARING. Filed Feb 21, 2025 and referred to the House Public Education committee. No public hearing. The bill died.

Receipt

The receipt

89R-HB3147 · 2025-02-21

SOLD BY

Rep. Hillary HicklandRHouse 55

ITEM

relating to fiscal reporting by public schools.

WHAT IT DOES

Districts publish expected state money and explain their fund balances.

The bill adds two items to the budget summary every Texas school district must publish: the money the district expects from the state under the school finance chapters, and the size of its fund balances with an explanation. It also makes each district send the Texas Education Agency a yearly report on what share of its contract spending went to contracts that help student outcomes, as the commissioner defines by rule. School districts and the education commissioner are touched, and parents and taxpayers get more numbers on reserves, state aid and contract spending starting September 1, 2025.

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

Hillary Hickland

Donors

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC$310KTexas Conservative Majority PAC$135KCourt Reform Action for Families Texas PAC$25K

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 31, 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$310,226.49

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC

$310,226.49

Cash
$50,000.00
Paid by others
$260,226.49
Total
$310,226.49
mail $134,060.64advertising $105,955.50polling $20,210.35

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 30, 2025 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: 101005755, 101019808, 101048921, 101069141, 101072319.

Texas Conservative Majority PAC$135,152.00

Texas Conservative Majority PAC

$135,152.00

Cash
$10,000.00
Paid by others
$125,152.00
Total
$135,152.00
canvassing $125,152.00

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 · Sep 8, 2026 to Sep 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.

Report IDs: 101069141.

Court Reform Action for Families Texas PAC$25,000.00

Court Reform Action for Families Texas PAC

$25,000.00

Cash
$25,000.00
Paid by others
$0.00
Total
$25,000.00

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 · on Sep 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: 101069141.

Money

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

×

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC

$310,226.49

Cash
$50,000.00
Paid by others
$260,226.49
Total
$310,226.49
mail $134,060.64advertising $105,955.50polling $20,210.35

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 30, 2025 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: 101005755, 101019808, 101048921, 101069141, 101072319.

×

Texas Conservative Majority PAC

$135,152.00

Cash
$10,000.00
Paid by others
$125,152.00
Total
$135,152.00
canvassing $125,152.00

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 · Sep 8, 2026 to Sep 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.

Report IDs: 101069141.

×

Court Reform Action for Families Texas PAC

$25,000.00

Cash
$25,000.00
Paid by others
$0.00
Total
$25,000.00

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 · on Sep 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: 101069141.

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 21, 2025

03/20/2025 H Referred to Public Education: Mar 20 2025 11:50AM

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--Finance

Education--School Districts

EDUCATION, COMMISSIONER OF

Text

The text as introduced · 225 words

89R5242 KJE-D

By: Hickland
H.B. No. 3147

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to fiscal reporting by public schools.

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

SECTION 1. Section 44.0041(b), Education Code, is amended

to read as follows:

(b) The budget summary must include:

(1) information relating to per student and aggregate

spending on:

(A) instruction;

(B) instructional support;

(C) central administration;

(D) district operations;

(E) debt service; and

(F) any other category designated by the

commissioner; [ and ]

(2) the amount of money the district anticipates

receiving from the state under Chapters 46, 48, and 49;

(3) the amount in the district's fund balances and an

explanation of that amount; and

(4) a comparison to the previous year's actual

spending.

SECTION 2. Subchapter A, Chapter 44, Education Code, is

amended by adding Section 44.0072 to read as follows:

Sec. 44.0072. REPORT ON CONTRACTS FOR IMPROVED STUDENT

OUTCOMES. (a) Each school district shall annually submit to the

agency a report on the percentage of the district's total amount of

money spent on contracts for goods or services for the preceding

school year that was spent on contracts that contribute to student

outcomes, as determined by commissioner rule.

(b) The commissioner shall adopt rules as necessary to

implement this section.

SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.