HB 5261

Cunningham Bill Seats Inmates On A New Prison Education Board

Did not pass

Verdict: Smells

SmellsReviewed

Rep. Charles CunninghamRHouse 127

Why it's charged

New fee, fund, board or appointees

THE TEXT

“The district shall establish a postsecondary education advisory board to advise the department regarding postsecondary education programs.”

Bill text, introduced version (I)

The bill creates a new advisory board, which the caption does not mention. The board has outside advocacy groups and current or former inmates as members.

New fee, fund, board or appointees

Reviewed · Nov 1, 2026 · Headline, summary and grade are analysis of the bill text, not a finding about any person · How we grade

Caption

relating to designating the Windham School District to provide postsecondary education to inmates of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice.

Caption from analyzed text · version I.

Summary

Windham runs prison college programs. The caption never mentions the new advisory board.

The bill orders the Windham School District, the school system inside the state prison agency, and the Texas Department of Criminal Justice to sign an agreement for Windham to run college programs for inmates through partnerships with colleges and universities. It also requires Windham to set up an advisory board of state agency staff, college representatives, inmate family and education advocacy groups, and current or former inmates. Starting September 1, 2025, college programming in Texas prisons would run through Windham under a formal agreement, with this new board advising the prison agency.

Labels

Labels: ACROSS THE AISLE. Joint authors: 2 Republicans, 1 Democrat. Party as the Legislative Reference Library lists it for the 89th Legislature.STALLED AFTER COMMITTEE. Voted out of the House Corrections committee 5-3 on Apr 23, 2025. Placed on the General State Calendar on May 13, 2025. The bill died.

Receipt

The receipt

89R-HB5261 · 2025-03-14

SOLD BY

Rep. Charles CunninghamRHouse 127

Rep. Rafael AnchíaDHouse 103

Rep. Mano DeAyalaRHouse 133

ITEM

relating to designating the Windham School District to provide postsecondary education to inmates of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice.

WHAT IT DOES

Windham runs prison college programs. The caption never mentions the new advisory board.

CHARGES

[x] NEW FEE, FUND, BOARD OR APPOINTEESanalysis confidence 55%

THE TEXT

“The district shall establish a postsecondary education advisory board to advise the department regarding postsecondary education programs.”

Bill text, introduced version (I)

The bill creates a new advisory board, which the caption does not mention. The board has outside advocacy groups and current or former inmates as members.

TOTAL

No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

LBB estimate · fiscal note version H · source

Sources

Fiscal note · version H · April 23, 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

Mar 14, 2025Filed
Apr 7, 2025Read first time
Apr 7, 2025Referred to Corrections
Apr 16, 2025Scheduled for public hearing on . . .
Apr 16, 2025Considered in public hearing
Apr 16, 2025Committee substitute considered in committee
Apr 16, 2025Testimony taken/registration(s) recorded in committee
Apr 16, 2025Left pending in committee
Apr 23, 2025Considered in formal meeting
Apr 23, 2025Committee substitute considered in committee
Apr 23, 2025Reported favorably as substituted
May 9, 2025Comte report filed with Committee Coordinator
May 9, 2025Committee report distributed
May 10, 2025Committee report sent to Calendars
May 11, 2025Considered in Calendars
May 13, 2025Placed on General State Calendar

FILED UNDER

No verified beat found.

Smells

THANK YOU FOR CHECKING THE RECEIPT

CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY

Charles Cunningham

Donors

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC$334K Texas Conservative Majority PAC$292K Court Reform Action for Families Texas PAC$100K

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 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$334,135.18

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC

$334,135.18

Cash: $35,000.00
Paid by others: $299,135.18
Total: $334,135.18

advertising $144,032.71mail $133,992.12polling $21,110.35

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 27, 2025 to Oct 21, 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: 101010682, 101031839, 101062565, 101068024, 101072258.

Texas Conservative Majority PAC$291,600.00

Texas Conservative Majority PAC

$291,600.00

Cash: $100,000.00
Paid by others: $191,600.00
Total: $291,600.00

canvassing $175,000.00polling $16,600.00

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 · Aug 14, 2026 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.

Report IDs: 101068024, 101072258.

Court Reform Action for Families Texas PAC$100,000.00

Court Reform Action for Families Texas PAC

$100,000.00

Cash: $100,000.00
Paid by others: $0.00
Total: $100,000.00

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 · Sep 23, 2026 to Oct 6, 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: 101068024, 101072258.

Money

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

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC

$334,135.18

Cash: $35,000.00
Paid by others: $299,135.18
Total: $334,135.18

advertising $144,032.71mail $133,992.12polling $21,110.35

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 27, 2025 to Oct 21, 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: 101010682, 101031839, 101062565, 101068024, 101072258.

Texas Conservative Majority PAC

$291,600.00

Cash: $100,000.00
Paid by others: $191,600.00
Total: $291,600.00

canvassing $175,000.00polling $16,600.00

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 · Aug 14, 2026 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.

Report IDs: 101068024, 101072258.

Court Reform Action for Families Texas PAC

$100,000.00

Cash: $100,000.00
Paid by others: $0.00
Total: $100,000.00

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 · Sep 23, 2026 to Oct 6, 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: 101068024, 101072258.

Votes

No floor vote loaded for this bill.

Witnesses10

For: 8
Against: 0
On: 2

Names

For

EdTrust in Texas1 registration
Self; LatinoJustice PRLDEF1 registration
Self; Lioness Justice Impacted Women’s Alliance1 registration
Self; Texas Appleseed1 registration
Self; TX C.U.R.E., Inc.1 registration
Texas 20361 registration
Texas Civil Rights Project1 registration
United Ways of Texas1 registration

On

Windham School District2 registrations

Sources

10 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 H · source

Sources

Fiscal note · version H · April 23, 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.

Sources

Texas House · Filed Mar 14, 2025

05/13/2025 H Placed on General State Calendar

Texas Legislature Online · Introduced · House Committee Report

Data snapshot Nov 1, 2026 at 1:58 PM CST. Grades, charges, quotes and corrections follow the published record.

House committee · Corrections · Committee vote 5 aye, 3 nay, 1 absent · Out of committee

Companion

SB 1649 by Blanco (similar)

Subjects

WINDHAM SCHOOL DISTRICT

Education--Higher--General

Education--School Districts

State Agencies, Boards & Commissions--Newly Proposed

CRIMINAL JUSTICE, TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF

HIGHER EDUCATION COORDINATING BOARD, TEXAS

LICENSING & REGULATION, TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF

POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION ADVISORY BOARD (VY02X)

WORKFORCE COMMISSION, TEXAS

Text

The text as introduced · 220 words

89R18255 KJE-F

By: Cunningham
H.B. No. 5261

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to designating the Windham School District to provide

postsecondary education to inmates of the Texas Department of

Criminal Justice.

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

SECTION 1. Chapter 19, Education Code, is amended by adding

Sections 19.012 and 19.013 to read as follows:

Sec. 19.012. POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION. The district and the

department shall enter into a memorandum of understanding for the

district to administer postsecondary education programs through

partnerships with postsecondary educational institutions to

inmates of the department.

Sec. 19.013. POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION ADVISORY BOARD. (a)

The district shall establish a postsecondary education advisory

board to advise the department regarding postsecondary education

programs.

(b) The advisory board is composed of members who are

relevant stakeholders, including:

(1) representatives of the Texas Higher Education

Coordinating Board;

(2) representatives of the Texas Department of

Licensing and Regulation;

(3) representatives of the Texas Workforce

Commission;

(4) representatives of public institutions of higher

education on a rotating basis;

(5) representatives from an organization that

represents the families of inmates of the department;

(6) representatives of an organization that advocates

for the education of inmates of the department; and

(7) current or former inmates of the department.

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