HB 5592
Davis Bill Leaves Other State Money Out Of College Audits
Died in committee
Verdict: Smells
Why it's charged
The hole
THE TEXT
…“appropriated by the Legislature for the fiscal year in violation of”…
Bill text, introduced version (I)
The audit and its funding penalty now reach only spending from that fiscal year's legislative appropriations, so spending from other state money no longer triggers a finding under this section. The caption flags the narrowing, but the bill does not show the section's underlying ban, so the size of the gap cannot be read from this text.
The holeInitial 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 state auditing of institutions of higher education on complying on certain uses of funds appropriated by the Legislature.
Caption from analyzed text · version I.
Summary
Only that fiscal year’s legislative appropriations count. A school in violation still gets 180 days.
The bill rewrites the state auditor's compliance audit of colleges and universities under Section 51.3525 of the Education Code so that it checks only spending of funds appropriated by the Legislature for the fiscal year, not state money in general. It touches every public institution of higher education and the state auditor, who must still audit each school at least once every four years. A school found in violation still has 180 days to fix it or lose formula funding increases, enhancements and exceptional items the next biennium, but money outside that year's legislative appropriation appears to fall outside the audit.
Labels
Labels: NEVER GOT A HEARING. Filed Mar 14, 2025 and referred to the House Higher Education committee. No public hearing. The bill died.
Receipt
The receipt
89R-HB5592 · 2025-03-14
SOLD BY
ITEM
relating to state auditing of institutions of higher education on complying on certain uses of funds appropriated by the Legislature.
WHAT IT DOES
Only that fiscal year’s legislative appropriations count. A school in violation still gets 180 days.
The bill rewrites the state auditor's compliance audit of colleges and universities under Section 51.3525 of the Education Code so that it checks only spending of funds appropriated by the Legislature for the fiscal year, not state money in general. It touches every public institution of higher education and the state auditor, who must still audit each school at least once every four years. A school found in violation still has 180 days to fix it or lose formula funding increases, enhancements and exceptional items the next biennium, but money outside that year's legislative appropriation appears to fall outside the audit.
CHARGES
[x] THE HOLEanalysis confidence 50%
THE TEXT
…“appropriated by the Legislature for the fiscal year in violation of”…
Bill text, introduced version (I)
The audit and its funding penalty now reach only spending from that fiscal year's legislative appropriations, so spending from other state money no longer triggers a finding under this section. The caption flags the narrowing, but the bill does not show the section's underlying ban, so the size of the gap cannot be read from this text.
TOTAL
No fiscal note in the loaded record.
HISTORY
- Filed
- Read first time
- Referred to Higher Education
FILED UNDER
No verified beat found.
THANK YOU FOR CHECKING THE RECEIPT
CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY
CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY
Donors
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 · Jul 12, 2024 to Oct 18, 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.
TOP PAC$29,502.00
TOP PAC
$29,502.00
- Cash
- $0.00
- Paid by others
- $29,502.00
- Total
- $29,502.00
Also funds 0 other sitting lawmakers.
Derived recipient stock · Sep 30, 2024 to Oct 27, 2024. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.
Name match, not a verified identity: normalized filed name and state.
Sources
Derived itemized flow · Sep 30, 2024 to Oct 27, 2024. 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: 100989271.
Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC$15,000.00
Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC
$15,000.00
- Cash
- $15,000.00
- Paid by others
- $0.00
- Total
- $15,000.00
Also funds 137 other sitting lawmakers.
Derived recipient stock · Jul 24, 2024 to Oct 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.
TEC account match.
TeamSources
Derived itemized flow · Oct 4, 2024 to Oct 5, 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: 100989271, 101016836, 101062769, 101072968.
Texas Sands PAC$12,000.00
Texas Sands PAC
$12,000.00
- Cash
- $12,000.00
- Paid by others
- $0.00
- Total
- $12,000.00
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.
TeamSources
Derived itemized flow · Oct 11, 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: 100989271, 101062769, 101072968.
Missing data does not establish zero giving. Display amounts are rounded.
TOP PAC
$29,502.00
- Cash
- $0.00
- Paid by others
- $29,502.00
- Total
- $29,502.00
Also funds 0 other sitting lawmakers.
Derived recipient stock · Sep 30, 2024 to Oct 27, 2024. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.
Name match, not a verified identity: normalized filed name and state.
Sources
Derived itemized flow · Sep 30, 2024 to Oct 27, 2024. 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: 100989271.
Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC
$15,000.00
- Cash
- $15,000.00
- Paid by others
- $0.00
- Total
- $15,000.00
Also funds 137 other sitting lawmakers.
Derived recipient stock · Jul 24, 2024 to Oct 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.
TEC account match.
TeamSources
Derived itemized flow · Oct 4, 2024 to Oct 5, 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: 100989271, 101016836, 101062769, 101072968.
Texas Sands PAC
$12,000.00
- Cash
- $12,000.00
- Paid by others
- $0.00
- Total
- $12,000.00
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.
TeamSources
Derived itemized flow · Oct 11, 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: 100989271, 101062769, 101072968.
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 Mar 14, 2025
04/07/2025 H Referred to Higher Education: Apr 7 2025 5:28PM
Texas Legislature Online · Introduced
Data snapshot Oct 26, 2026 at 4:19 AM CDT. Grades, charges, quotes and corrections follow the published record.
House committee · Higher Education · Final status: Died in committee
Subjects
Education--Higher--Finance
State Finances--Management & Control
AUDITS & AUDITORS
AUDITOR, STATE
Text
The text as introduced · 298 words
By: A. Davis of Dallas H.B. No. 5592 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT relating to state auditing of institutions of higher education on complying on certain uses of funds appropriated by the Legislature. BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: SECTION 1. Section 51.3525, Education Code, is amended by amending Subsection (g) and (h) to be read as follows: (g) The state auditor shall periodically conduct a compliance audit of each institution of higher education to determine whether the institution has spent state money funds appropriated by the Legislature for the fiscal year in violation of this section. The state auditor shall adopt a schedule by which the state auditor will conduct compliance audits under this subsection. The schedule must ensure that each institution of higher education is audited at least once every four years. (h) If the state auditor determines pursuant to a compliance audit conducted under Subsection (g) that an institution of higher education has spent state money funds appropriated by the Legislature for the fiscal year in violation of this section, the institution: (1) must cure the violation not later than the 180th day after the date on which the determination is made; and (2) if the institution fails to cure the violation during the period described by Subdivision (1), is ineligible to receive formula funding increases, institutional enhancements, or exceptional items during the state fiscal biennium immediately following the state fiscal biennium in which the determination is made. 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.