SB 1067: Middleton Foreign Gifts Bill Misses Private Firms, Could Catch Relatives

Caption

relating to prohibiting public institutions of higher education and employees of public institutions of higher education and their spouses from soliciting or accepting gifts, grants, donations, or investments from certain foreign entities.

Caption from analyzed text · version S.

Summary

A private company in a designated country is out. But “private money from any party member” counts.

The bill bars Texas public colleges and universities, their employees, and employees' spouses from asking for or taking gifts, grants, donations or investments from the governments, ruling political parties, or certain state-owned companies of designated countries. It covers every public higher education institution and its staff and spouses, in both their official and private lives, and it lets the governor add countries beyond those flagged in federal threat assessments. Starting September 1, 2025, schools must write the ban into new or renewed employment contracts, and money taken in violation during the prior two-year budget period must be returned.

Labels

Labels: GOT HALFWAY. Passed the Senate on Apr 10, 2025. Died in the House: never got out of the Higher Education committee.

Receipt

The receipt

89R-SB1067 · 2025-02-03

SOLD BY

Sen. Mayes MiddletonRSenate 11

+ 3 coauthors

ITEM

relating to prohibiting public institutions of higher education and employees of public institutions of higher education and their spouses from soliciting or accepting gifts, grants, donations, or investments from certain foreign entities.

WHAT IT DOES

A private company in a designated country is out. But “private money from any party member” counts.

The bill bars Texas public colleges and universities, their employees, and employees' spouses from asking for or taking gifts, grants, donations or investments from the governments, ruling political parties, or certain state-owned companies of designated countries. It covers every public higher education institution and its staff and spouses, in both their official and private lives, and it lets the governor add countries beyond those flagged in federal threat assessments. Starting September 1, 2025, schools must write the ban into new or renewed employment contracts, and money taken in violation during the prior two-year budget period must be returned.

CHARGES

[x] THE HOLEanalysis confidence 50%

THE TEXT

“that is headquartered in a designated”…

Bill text, Senate committee report version (S)

A company is covered only if it is both headquartered in a designated country and partly owned by that country's government. A privately held company based there, or a state-owned company headquartered somewhere else, falls outside the ban even though the pitch names foreign corporations as security risks.

[x] DRAGNETanalysis confidence 55%

THE CAPTION

…“investments from certain foreign entities.”

Caption, Senate committee report version (S)

THE TEXT

…“including private money from any party member”

Bill text, Senate committee report version (S)

The caption targets foreign entities, but this clause treats any individual party member's private money as covered. Combined with the reach into an employee's or spouse's private capacity, it could catch personal gifts from individuals, such as relatives, who are not entities at all.

TOTAL

No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

LBB estimate · fiscal note version S · source

Sources

Fiscal note · version S · April 3, 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

Feb 3, 2025Received by the Secretary of the Senate
Feb 3, 2025Filed
Feb 24, 2025Read first time
Feb 24, 2025Referred to Education K-16
Mar 20, 2025Scheduled for public hearing on . . .
Mar 20, 2025Considered in public hearing
Mar 20, 2025Testimony taken in committee
Mar 20, 2025Left pending in committee
Mar 31, 2025Co-author authorized
Apr 1, 2025Considered in public hearing
Apr 1, 2025Vote taken in committee
Apr 7, 2025Reported favorably as substituted
Apr 7, 2025Committee report printed and distributed
Apr 9, 2025Placed on intent calendar
Apr 10, 2025Co-author authorized
Apr 10, 2025Rules suspended-Regular order of business
Apr 10, 2025Record vote
Apr 10, 2025Read 2nd time & passed to engrossment
Apr 10, 2025Record vote
Apr 10, 2025Three day rule suspended
Apr 10, 2025Record vote
Apr 10, 2025Read 3rd time
Apr 10, 2025Passed
Apr 10, 2025Record vote
Apr 10, 2025Reported engrossed
Apr 14, 2025Received from the Senate
Apr 22, 2025Read first time
Apr 22, 2025Referred to Higher Education

FILED UNDER

FOREIGN HANDS ON TEXAS

THE TEXT

“that is headquartered in a designated”…

Bill text, Senate committee report version (S)

The bill limits foreign money into Texas universities, but its company test requires both a headquarters in a designated country and government ownership, which leaves some foreign-tied company money outside the ban.

SIGNED FOR BY

Senate · 27 yea · 3 nay

Sources

Senate: Final passage · Apr 10, 2025. Journal. Published stock for this vote. Snapshot 2026-10-19, Central time.

All floor motions and other positions below.

Smells

THANK YOU FOR CHECKING THE RECEIPT

CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY

Mayes Middleton

Donors

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC$1.14MRussell Gordy$300,000Kenneth Fisher$215,000

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 · Jul 6, 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$1,140,000.00

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC

$1,140,000.00

Cash: $1,140,000.00
Paid by others: $0.00
Total: $1,140,000.00

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 · Dec 12, 2024 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: 101009502, 101012383, 101061137, 101072395, 101072779.

Russell Gordy$300,000.00

Kenneth Fisher$215,000.00

Money

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

×

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC

$1,140,000.00

Cash: $1,140,000.00
Paid by others: $0.00
Total: $1,140,000.00

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 · Dec 12, 2024 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: 101009502, 101012383, 101061137, 101072395, 101072779.

Votes4

Senate Apr 10, 2025

Yea: 27
Nay: 3
Present, not voting: Not printed
Absent: 0
Excused: 1

Names

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

Senate journal

Sources

The bill was read third time and was passed by the following vote: Yeas 27, Nays 3. (Same as previous roll call)

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

Yea: 27 (published)
Nay: 3 (published)
Present, not voting: Not printed
Absent: 0 (derived from named list)
Excused: 1 (derived from named list)

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

Senate Apr 10, 2025

Yea: 27
Nay: 3
Present, not voting: Not printed
Absent: 0
Excused: 1

Names

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

Senate journal

Sources

Senator Middleton moved that Senate Rule 7.18 and the Constitutional Rule requiring bills to be read on three several days be suspended and that CSSB 1067 be placed on its third reading and final passage. The motion prevailed by the following vote: Yeas 27, Nays 3.

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

Yea: 27 (published)
Nay: 3 (published)
Present, not voting: Not printed
Absent: 0 (derived from named list)
Excused: 1 (derived from named list)

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

Senate Apr 10, 2025

Yea: 27
Nay: 3
Present, not voting: Not printed
Absent: 0
Excused: 1

Names

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

Senate journal

Sources

The bill was read second time and was passed to engrossment by the following vote: Yeas 27, Nays 3. (Same as previous roll call)

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

Yea: 27 (published)
Nay: 3 (published)
Present, not voting: Not printed
Absent: 0 (derived from named list)
Excused: 1 (derived from named list)

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

Senate Apr 10, 2025

Yea: 27
Nay: 3
Present, not voting: Not printed
Absent: 0
Excused: 1

Names

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

Senate journal

Sources

Senator Middleton moved to suspend the regular order of business to take up for consideration CSSB 1067 at this time on its second reading: CSSB 1067, Relating to prohibiting public institutions of higher education and employees of public institutions of higher education and their spouses from soliciting or accepting gifts, grants, donations, or investments from certain foreign entities. The motion prevailed by the following vote: Yeas 27, Nays 3.

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

Yea: 27 (published)
Nay: 3 (published)
Present, not voting: Not printed
Absent: 0 (derived from named list)
Excused: 1 (derived from named list)

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

Witnesses23

For: 4
Against: 19
On: 0

Names

For

Self3 registrations
Texas Public Policy Foundation1 registration

Against

Self18 registrations
Self; Texas AFT-AAUP1 registration

Sources

23 parsed registrations across the loaded witness lists.

Derived stock of witness registrations. Repeated appearances count separately. Organizations and self-representation appear as printed.

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

Fiscal

No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

LBB estimate · fiscal note version S · source

Sources

Fiscal note · version S · April 3, 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 S by claude-opus-5-5, Oct 22, 2026, against the published rubric.

Sources

Texas Senate · Filed Feb 3, 2025

04/22/2025 H Referred to Higher Education: Apr 22 2025 3:20PM

Texas Legislature Online · Introduced · Senate Committee Report · Engrossed

Data snapshot Nov 1, 2026 at 2:06 PM CST. Grades, charges, quotes and corrections follow the published record.

Coauthors

Donna CampbellRSenate 25

Brandon CreightonRSenate 4

Lois KolkhorstRSenate 18

House committee · Higher Education · Final status: Died in committee

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

Subjects

Education--Higher--Faculty

Education--Higher--Finance

GIFTS & DONATIONS

INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

HIGHER EDUCATION COORDINATING BOARD, TEXAS

Text

The text as introduced · 329 words

By: Middleton
S.B. No. 1067

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to prohibiting public institutions of higher education and

employees of public institutions of higher education from

soliciting or accepting gifts, grants, donations, or investments

from certain foreign entities.

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

SECTION 1. Subchapter Z, Chapter 51, Education Code, is

amended by adding Section 51.984 to read as follows:

Sec. 51.984. PROHIBITION ON SOLICITING OR ACCEPTING GIFTS,

GRANTS, DONATIONS, OR INVESTMENTS FROM CERTAIN FOREIGN ENTITIES.

(a) In this section:

(1) "Designated country" means a country identified by

the United States Director of National Intelligence as a country

that poses a risk to the national security of the United States in

each of the three most recent Annual Threat Assessments of the U.S.

Intelligence Community issued pursuant to Section 108B, National

Security Act of 1947 (50 U.S.C. Section 3043b).

(2) "Institution of higher education" has the meaning

assigned by Section 61.003.

(b) Notwithstanding any other law, an institution of higher

education or an employee of an institution of higher education in

the employee's official or private capacity may not solicit or

accept a gift, grant, donation, or investment from:

(1) a governmental entity of a designated country;

(2) a political party of a designated country,

including private money from any party member; or

(3) a company:

(A) that is headquartered in a designated

country; and

(B) in which a governmental entity of a

designated country holds an ownership interest.

(c) An institution of higher education or an employee of an

institution of higher education shall return any money or other

thing of value received in violation of this section during the

preceding state fiscal biennium to the entity or entities that

provided the money or other thing of value to the institution or

employee.

(d) The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board may adopt

rules as necessary to implement this section.

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

Verdict: Smells

The receipt

SOLD BY

ITEM

WHAT IT DOES

CHARGES

TOTAL

HISTORY

SIGNED FOR BY

Donors

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC

Senate Apr 10, 2025

Senate Apr 10, 2025

Senate Apr 10, 2025

Senate Apr 10, 2025

For

Against