Monitoring the Session

HB 4359

Sunset Advisory Commission would audit two school districts

Did not pass

Verdict: No flags

No flagsInitial review
Rep. Giovanni CapriglioneRHouse 98

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 review of school districts by the Sunset Advisory Commission.

Caption from analyzed text · version I.

Summary

Lowest and highest instructional spending per student, by October 31.

The bill orders the Sunset Advisory Commission to review the operations of two Texas school districts and run a forensic audit of them each review cycle. By October 31 of each odd-numbered year, the commission picks one regional education service center area and selects the district there with the lowest instructional spending per student and the one with the highest. The chosen districts go through Sunset review as if they were state agencies but cannot be abolished, and the commission must report where they waste money that could go to instruction and recommend fixes.

Labels

Labels: ZOMBIE BILL. Died 2 times: 88R HB 4830 by Rep. Goldman (Died in committee) and this bill (Did not pass). Checked against 88R only.DO-OVER. Reworked text of a bill filed before that died: 88R HB 4830 by Rep. Goldman (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 15, 2025. Died in the Senate: voted out of the Education K-16 committee 11-0, no floor vote.

Receipt

The receipt

89R-HB4359 · 2025-03-11

SOLD BY

Rep. Giovanni CapriglioneRHouse 98 Rep. Janie LopezRHouse 37 Rep. Carl H. TepperRHouse 84

+ 1 more author

ITEM

relating to the review of school districts by the Sunset Advisory Commission.

WHAT IT DOES

Lowest and highest instructional spending per student, by October 31.

The bill orders the Sunset Advisory Commission to review the operations of two Texas school districts and run a forensic audit of them each review cycle. By October 31 of each odd-numbered year, the commission picks one regional education service center area and selects the district there with the lowest instructional spending per student and the one with the highest. The chosen districts go through Sunset review as if they were state agencies but cannot be abolished, and the commission must report where they waste money that could go to instruction and recommend fixes.

CHARGES

[ ] NONE FOUND

TOTAL

Net to General Revenue · FY 2026($621,040)

LBB estimate, flow · fiscal note version E · ( ) = negative · source

Sources

Fiscal note · version E · May 26, 2025

Estimated Two-year Net Impact to General Revenue Related Funds for HB4359, As Engrossed: a negative impact of ($1,217,080) through the biennium ending August 31, 2027. The bill would make no appropriation but could provide the legal basis for an appropriation of funds to implement the provisions of the bill.

First year · FY 2026 · ($621,040)

Probable Net Positive/(Negative) Impact to General Revenue Related Funds

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 Delivery of Government Efficiency
  4. Scheduled for public hearing on . . .
  5. Considered in public hearing
  6. Committee substitute considered in committee
  7. Testimony taken/registration(s) recorded in committee
  8. Left pending in committee
  9. Considered in formal meeting
  10. Committee substitute considered in committee
  11. Reported favorably as substituted
  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. Passed to engrossment
  19. Record vote RV#2550
  20. Statement(s) of vote recorded in Journal
  21. Read 3rd time
  22. Amended 1-Capriglione
  23. Passed as amended
  24. Record vote RV#2659
  25. Statement(s) of vote recorded in Journal
  26. Reported engrossed
  27. Received from the House
  28. Read first time
  29. Referred to Education K-16
  30. Scheduled for public hearing on . . .
  31. Considered in public hearing
  32. Vote taken in committee
  33. Reported favorably w/o amendments
  34. Committee report printed and distributed
  35. Placed on intent calendar
FILED UNDER

No verified beat found.

SIGNED FOR BY

House · 94 yea · 46 nay

Sources

House: Final passage · May 15, 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

Giovanni Capriglione

Donors

Capital One Financial Corporation Associates Political Fund$5KMurt Arnold$5,000Jason Itkin$5,000

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 29, 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.

Capital One Financial Corporation Associates Political Fund$5,000.00

Capital One Financial Corporation Associates Political Fund

$5,000.00

Cash
$5,000.00
Paid by others
$0.00
Total
$5,000.00

Also funds 1 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Dec 14, 2024 to Jul 14, 2025. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

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

Sources

Derived itemized flow · on Jul 14, 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.

Report IDs: 101030508.

Murt Arnold$5,000.00
Jason Itkin$5,000.00
Money

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

×

Capital One Financial Corporation Associates Political Fund

$5,000.00

Cash
$5,000.00
Paid by others
$0.00
Total
$5,000.00

Also funds 1 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Dec 14, 2024 to Jul 14, 2025. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

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

Sources

Derived itemized flow · on Jul 14, 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.

Report IDs: 101030508.

Votes2

House May 15, 2025

Yea
94
Nay
46
Present, not voting
2
Absent
5
Excused
3
Names

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

House journal

Sources

Record 2659

HB 4359, as amended, was passed by (Record 2659): 94 Yeas, 46 Nays, 2 Present, not voting.

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

  • Yea: 94 (published)
  • Nay: 46 (published)
  • Present, not voting: 2 (published)
  • Absent: 5 (derived from named list)
  • Excused: 3 (derived from named list)

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

House May 14, 2025

Yea
118
Nay
18
Present, not voting
2
Absent
4
Excused
8
Names

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

House journal

Sources

Record 2550

CSHB 4359 was passed to engrossment by (Record 2550): 118 Yeas, 18 Nays, 2 Present, not voting.

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

  • Yea: 118 (published)
  • Nay: 18 (published)
  • Present, not voting: 2 (published)
  • Absent: 4 (derived from named list)
  • Excused: 8 (derived from named list)

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

Witnesses4
For
0
Against
0
On
4
Names

On

  • Sunset Advisory Commission2 registrations
  • Texas Education Agency2 registrations
Sources

4 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.

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

Fiscal
Net to General Revenue · FY 2026($621,040)

LBB estimate, flow · fiscal note version E · ( ) = negative · source

Sources

Fiscal note · version E · May 26, 2025

Estimated Two-year Net Impact to General Revenue Related Funds for HB4359, As Engrossed: a negative impact of ($1,217,080) through the biennium ending August 31, 2027. The bill would make no appropriation but could provide the legal basis for an appropriation of funds to implement the provisions of the bill.

First year · FY 2026 · ($621,040)

Probable Net Positive/(Negative) Impact to General Revenue Related Funds

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 4830

by Rep. Goldman, different lead author · Died in committee · reworked

Introduced text

Last action, Mar 23, 2023: Referred to Public Education

Relating to the review of school districts by the Sunset Advisory Commission.

Caption, 88R bill history

Sources

Texas House · Filed Mar 11, 2025

05/28/2025 S Placed on intent calendar

Texas Legislature Online · Introduced · House Committee Report · Engrossed · Senate Committee Report

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

Sponsors
Phil KingRSenate 10

House committee · Delivery of Government Efficiency · Committee vote 11 aye, 0 nay, 2 absent · Out of committee

Senate committee · Education K-16 · Committee vote 11 aye, 0 nay · Out of committee

Subjects

Education--School Districts

Sunset--Recommended Reviews

AUDITS & AUDITORS

REGIONAL EDUCATION SERVICE CENTERS

SUNSET ADVISORY COMMISSION

Text

The text as introduced · 286 words

By: Capriglione
H.B. No. 4359

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to the review of school districts by the Sunset Advisory

Commission.

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

SECTION 1. Chapter 325, Government Code, is amended by

adding Section 325.026 to read as follows:

Sec. 325.026. REVIEW OF SCHOOL DISTRICTS. (a) In this

section, "education service center region" means a geographic

region served by a regional education service center under Chapter

8, Education Code.

(b) The commission shall review the operations and conduct a

forensic audit of certain independent school districts or

consolidated school districts. The commission shall review two

school districts each review cycle. The school districts

identified for review by the commission under this section are

subject to the requirements of this chapter as if they were a state

agency but may not be abolished.

(c) Not later than October 31 of each odd-numbered year, the

commission shall select an education service center region from

which the school districts to be reviewed will be selected. The

commission shall review the school district within the selected

region that has the lowest instructional spending per student and

the school district within the selected region that has the highest

instructional spending per student according to the most recent

information reported to the Texas Education Agency.

(d) The commission shall prepare a report identifying areas

of each district's operations that do not effectively or

efficiently use the district's funds and that detract from

instructional spending and make recommendations to address its

findings. The commission's review may also include recommendations

related to the district's governance, management, operating

structure, and compliance with legislative requirements.

SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.