Monitoring the Session

SB 1884

Sparks Bill Gives Education Board Chair An Uncapped Staff

Did not pass

Verdict: Smells

SmellsNeeds review
Sen. Kevin SparksRSenate 31
Why it's charged
New fee, fund, board or appointees

THE TEXT

“employ personnel as necessary to assist the board”…

Bill text, Senate committee report version (S)

The bill creates a new set of state-paid positions that answer directly to the board chair, with no cap on how many. The caption says this openly and promises no cut in government, so it is tagged rather than charged.

New fee, fund, board or appointees

Needs review · Nov 1, 2026 · Headline, summary and grade are analysis of the bill text, not a finding about any person · How we grade

Caption

relating to allowing the chair of the State Board of Education to employ personnel to assist in performing the board's duties.

Caption from analyzed text · version S.

Summary

No cap on how many, state benefits included, and they answer only to the chair.

The bill lets the chair of the State Board of Education hire staff to help the board do its work, set their duties and pay, and promote or fire them. It touches the board chair, the new staff, and the state education agency, which must give the staff back-office support such as payroll, IT and legal help. Starting September 1, 2025, the board chair can build a staff paid with money the Legislature provides, with state retirement and insurance benefits, and those staff answer only to the chair.

Receipt

The receipt

89R-SB1884 · 2025-03-04

SOLD BY

Sen. Kevin SparksRSenate 31

+ 1 coauthor

ITEM

relating to allowing the chair of the State Board of Education to employ personnel to assist in performing the board's duties.

WHAT IT DOES

No cap on how many, state benefits included, and they answer only to the chair.

The bill lets the chair of the State Board of Education hire staff to help the board do its work, set their duties and pay, and promote or fire them. It touches the board chair, the new staff, and the state education agency, which must give the staff back-office support such as payroll, IT and legal help. Starting September 1, 2025, the board chair can build a staff paid with money the Legislature provides, with state retirement and insurance benefits, and those staff answer only to the chair.

CHARGES

[x] NEW FEE, FUND, BOARD OR APPOINTEESanalysis confidence 55%

THE TEXT

“employ personnel as necessary to assist the board”…

Bill text, Senate committee report version (S)

The bill creates a new set of state-paid positions that answer directly to the board chair, with no cap on how many. The caption says this openly and promises no cut in government, so it is tagged rather than charged.

TOTAL

Net to General Revenue · FY 2026($758,272)

LBB estimate, flow · fiscal note version S · ( ) = negative · source

Sources

Fiscal note · version S · May 7, 2025

Estimated Two-year Net Impact to General Revenue Related Funds for SB1884, Committee Report 1st House, Substituted: a negative impact of ($1,491,769) through the biennium ending August 31, 2027. The bill would make no appropriation but could provide the legal basis for an appropriation of funds to implement the provisions of the bill.

First year · FY 2026 · ($758,272)

Probable Net Positive/(Negative) Impact to General Revenue Related Funds

LBB published estimates · flow over the stated periods.

Source snapshot 2026-10-19, Central time.

HISTORY

  1. Received by the Secretary of the Senate
  2. Filed
  3. Read first time
  4. Referred to Education K-16
  5. Scheduled for public hearing on . . .
  6. Considered in public hearing
  7. Testimony taken in committee
  8. Left pending in committee
  9. Co-author authorized
  10. Considered in public hearing
  11. Vote taken in committee
  12. Reported favorably as substituted
  13. Committee report printed and distributed
FILED UNDER

GOVERNMENT GROWTH UNDER A CONSERVATIVE BANNER

THE TEXT

“employ personnel as necessary to assist the board”…

Bill text, Senate committee report version (S)

The bill authorizes new government positions under the State Board of Education chair, paid from legislative funds and eligible for state retirement and group benefits.

Smells

THANK YOU FOR CHECKING THE RECEIPT

CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY

CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY

Kevin Sparks

Donors

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC$60KKyle & Jamie Stallings$25,000Tim Dunn$25,000

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 25, 2024 to Oct 23, 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$60,000.00

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC

$60,000.00

Cash
$60,000.00
Paid by others
$0.00
Total
$60,000.00

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 · Oct 15, 2024 to Oct 23, 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: 101012623, 101029380, 101072732.

Kyle & Jamie Stallings$25,000.00
Tim Dunn$25,000.00
Money

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

×

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC

$60,000.00

Cash
$60,000.00
Paid by others
$0.00
Total
$60,000.00

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 · Oct 15, 2024 to Oct 23, 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: 101012623, 101029380, 101072732.

Votes

No floor vote loaded for this bill.

Witnesses25
For
4
Against
19
On
2
Names

For

  • Self; Texans Wake Up1 registration
  • Self; Texas Eagle Forum1 registration
  • Texas 20361 registration
  • Texas Public Charter Schools Association1 registration

Against

  • Self16 registrations
  • Self; Texas AFT1 registration
  • Self; Texas Freedom Network1 registration
  • Texas State Teachers Association1 registration

On

  • Texas Education Agency2 registrations
Sources

25 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
Net to General Revenue · FY 2026($758,272)

LBB estimate, flow · fiscal note version S · ( ) = negative · source

Sources

Fiscal note · version S · May 7, 2025

Estimated Two-year Net Impact to General Revenue Related Funds for SB1884, Committee Report 1st House, Substituted: a negative impact of ($1,491,769) through the biennium ending August 31, 2027. The bill would make no appropriation but could provide the legal basis for an appropriation of funds to implement the provisions of the bill.

First year · FY 2026 · ($758,272)

Probable Net Positive/(Negative) Impact to General Revenue Related Funds

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 Mar 4, 2025

05/08/2025 S Committee report printed and distributed: May 8 2025 11:11AM

Texas Legislature Online · Introduced · Senate Committee Report

Data snapshot Nov 1, 2026 at 2:09 PM CST. Grades, charges, quotes and corrections follow the published record.

Coauthors
Adam HinojosaRSenate 27

Senate committee · Education K-16 · Committee vote 10 aye, 1 nay · Out of committee

Companion

HB 3627 by Tepper (identical)

Subjects

State Employees

EDUCATION AGENCY, TEXAS

EDUCATION, STATE BOARD OF

Text

The text as introduced · 218 words

By: Sparks
S.B. No. 1884

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to the employment of persons by the State Board of

Education.

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

SECTION 1. Subchapter D, Education Code, is amended by adding

Section 7.114 to read as follows:

Sec. 7.114. PERSONNEL. (a) The chair of the board may

employ personnel as necessary to assist the board in performing its

duties and may prescribe the personnel's duties and compensation as

provided by legislative appropriation.

(b) A person employed under this section is:

(1) considered an employee of the Texas Education

Agency for the purpose of receiving state employment benefits,

including health insurance and retirement benefits;

(2) entitled to reimbursement for expenses incurred by

the person in the performance of official duties as provided by

legislative appropriation; and

(3) and directly accountable to the chair.

(c) The chair may make all employment actions regarding the

status of a person employed under this section, including the

hiring, promotion, or termination of the person.

(d) The Texas Education Agency shall provide administrative

support services, including human resources, budgetary,

accounting, purchasing, payroll, information technology, and legal

support services, to the board as necessary to carry out the

purposes of this section.

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