SB 1779
bill barring colleges from withholding transcripts over unpaid fees
Died in committee
Verdict: No flags
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 issuance of a transcript by a public institution of higher education to a student who fails to pay certain student fees.
Caption from analyzed text · version I.
Summary
Schools can still charge a reasonable fee for the transcript itself.
The bill bars Texas public colleges and universities from refusing to hand over a transcript just because a current or former student owes the school a fee. Students and former students with unpaid fees are the people it touches, and schools may still charge a reasonable fee to issue the transcript itself. Starting September 1, 2025, a school cannot hold a transcript hostage over an unpaid fee alone.
Labels
Labels: QUICK READ: 127 WORDS. The bill as filed runs 127 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 Feb 28, 2025 and referred to the Senate Education K-16 committee. No public hearing. The bill died.
Receipt
The receipt
89R-SB1779 · 2025-02-28
SOLD BY
ITEM
relating to the issuance of a transcript by a public institution of higher education to a student who fails to pay certain student fees.
WHAT IT DOES
Schools can still charge a reasonable fee for the transcript itself.
The bill bars Texas public colleges and universities from refusing to hand over a transcript just because a current or former student owes the school a fee. Students and former students with unpaid fees are the people it touches, and schools may still charge a reasonable fee to issue the transcript itself. Starting September 1, 2025, a school cannot hold a transcript hostage over an unpaid fee alone.
CHARGES
[ ] NONE FOUND
TOTAL
No fiscal note in the loaded record.
HISTORY
- Received by the Secretary of the Senate
- Filed
- Read first time
- Referred to Education K-16
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 · Sep 4, 2024 to Nov 30, 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.
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 25, 2024 to Nov 3, 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: 100990780, 101043817.
HillCo PAC$10,000.00
HillCo PAC
$10,000.00
- Cash
- $10,000.00
- Paid by others
- $0.00
- Total
- $10,000.00
Also funds 131 other sitting lawmakers.
Derived recipient stock · Jul 8, 2024 to Oct 24, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.
TEC account match.
TeamSources
Derived itemized flow · on Oct 24, 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: 101043817.
ActBlue Texas$8,833.00
ActBlue Texas
$8,833.00
- Cash
- $8,833.00
- Paid by others
- $0.00
- Total
- $8,833.00
Also funds 3 other sitting lawmakers.
Derived recipient stock · Sep 1, 2024 to Sep 4, 2025. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.
TEC account match.
Sources
Derived itemized flow · on Nov 1, 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: 100990780.
Missing data does not establish zero giving. Display amounts are rounded.
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 25, 2024 to Nov 3, 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: 100990780, 101043817.
HillCo PAC
$10,000.00
- Cash
- $10,000.00
- Paid by others
- $0.00
- Total
- $10,000.00
Also funds 131 other sitting lawmakers.
Derived recipient stock · Jul 8, 2024 to Oct 24, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.
TEC account match.
TeamSources
Derived itemized flow · on Oct 24, 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: 101043817.
ActBlue Texas
$8,833.00
- Cash
- $8,833.00
- Paid by others
- $0.00
- Total
- $8,833.00
Also funds 3 other sitting lawmakers.
Derived recipient stock · Sep 1, 2024 to Sep 4, 2025. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.
TEC account match.
Sources
Derived itemized flow · on Nov 1, 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: 100990780.
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 Senate · Filed Feb 28, 2025
03/13/2025 S Referred to Education K-16
Texas Legislature Online · Introduced
Data snapshot Oct 26, 2026 at 4:20 AM CDT. Grades, charges, quotes and corrections follow the published record.
Senate committee · Education K-16 · Final status: Died in committee
Subjects
Education--Higher--General
Education--Higher--Student Fees
Text
The text as introduced · 127 words
89R1872 CXP-D By: Miles S.B. No. 1779 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT relating to the issuance of a transcript by a public institution of higher education to a student who fails to pay certain student fees. BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: SECTION 1. Section 51.9715, Education Code, is amended by adding Subsection (c) to read as follows: (c) An institution of higher education may not refuse to issue a transcript to a current or former student based solely on the student's failure to pay a fee charged to the student by the institution. This subsection does not apply to a reasonable fee charged by the institution to issue the transcript. SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.