Monitoring the Session

SB 1779

bill barring colleges from withholding transcripts over unpaid fees

Died in committee

Verdict: No flags

No flagsInitial review
Sen. Borris MilesDSenate 13

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

  1. Received by the Secretary of the Senate
  2. Filed
  3. Read first time
  4. Referred to Education K-16
FILED UNDER

No verified beat found.

No flags

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.

Team
Sources

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.

Team
Sources

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.

Money

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.

Team
Sources

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.

Team
Sources

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.