HB 5640

Davis Bill Pulls Private Scholarships Out Of Section 51.3525

Died in committee

Verdict: Smells

SmellsInitial review

Rep. Aicha DavisDHouse 109

Why it's charged

Caption mismatch

THE TEXT

“This section does not apply to scholarships or grants”…

Bill text, introduced version (I)

The caption reads as a general bill about college scholarships and grants. The only operative text is an exemption that removes privately funded awards from an existing section, and the caption never says it is creating an exemption.

Caption mismatch

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 scholarships and grants awarded by public institutions of higher education.

Caption from analyzed text · version I.

Summary

Caption: scholarships and grants. Bill: one exemption, for awards paid with private money only.

The bill adds one exemption to Section 51.3525 of the Education Code, the existing rule that governs how public colleges and universities award scholarships and grants. Scholarships and grants paid for only with private money or private endowments would no longer be covered by that section. Public colleges could award privately funded aid outside that section's limits, while aid paid with any public money would still fall under it.

Labels

Labels: QUICK READ: 138 WORDS. The bill as filed runs 138 words, counting the existing law it amends and the text it strikes. The median 89R bill as filed runs 441 words (derived, 8,702 graded bills, snapshot Oct 19, 2026).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-HB5640 · 2025-03-14

SOLD BY

Rep. Aicha DavisDHouse 109

ITEM

relating to scholarships and grants awarded by public institutions of higher education.

WHAT IT DOES

Caption: scholarships and grants. Bill: one exemption, for awards paid with private money only.

CHARGES

[x] CAPTION MISMATCHanalysis confidence 40%

THE TEXT

“This section does not apply to scholarships or grants”…

Bill text, introduced version (I)

TOTAL

No fiscal note in the loaded record.

HISTORY

Mar 14, 2025Filed
Apr 7, 2025Read first time
Apr 7, 2025Referred to Higher Education

FILED UNDER

No verified beat found.

Smells

THANK YOU FOR CHECKING THE RECEIPT

CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY

Aicha Davis

Donors

TOP PAC$30K Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC$15K Texas Sands PAC$12K

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

printing $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.

Team

Sources

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.

Team

Sources

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.

Money

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

printing $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.

Team

Sources

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.

Team

Sources

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--Student Financial Aid

SCHOLARSHIPS

Text

The text as introduced · 138 words

By: A. Davis of Dallas
H.B. No. 5640

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to scholarships and grants awarded by public institutions

of higher education.

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

SECTION 1. Section 51.3525, Education Code, is amended by

adding Subsection (d-1) to read as follows:

(d-1) This section does not apply to scholarships or grants

an institution of higher education awards to students that are paid

for only with money or endowments the institution receives from a

private source.

SECTION 2. 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.