Monitoring the Session

SB 1998

bill pairing med students with pediatric subspecialty doctors

Became law

Verdict: No flags

No flagsInitial review
Sen. Joan HuffmanRSenate 17

Initial review · graded Oct 22, 2026 · Headline, summary and grade are analysis of the bill text, not a finding about any person · How we grade

Caption

relating to a preceptorship program in a pediatric subspecialty for medical students in this state.

Caption from analyzed text · version F.

Summary

The board may hire nonprofits or med schools to run it. Or not.

The bill lets the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board hire one or more outside groups to run a statewide program that pairs medical students with doctors in pediatric subspecialties. Groups that can get the money must be tax-exempt nonprofits or be run by a state accredited medical school, and students must show interest in a pediatric subspecialty career to take part. Nothing is required to happen, but if the board chooses to contract, the program can start with the 2025-2026 school year.

Labels

Labels: INSTANT LAW. Took effect immediately, on May 21, 2025. 833 of the 1,185 graded 89R laws took effect Sep 1, 2025 (derived from the bill histories, snapshot Oct 19, 2026).

Receipt

The receipt

89R-SB1998 · 2025-03-06

SOLD BY

Sen. Joan HuffmanRSenate 17

+ 1 coauthor

ITEM

relating to a preceptorship program in a pediatric subspecialty for medical students in this state.

WHAT IT DOES

The board may hire nonprofits or med schools to run it. Or not.

The bill lets the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board hire one or more outside groups to run a statewide program that pairs medical students with doctors in pediatric subspecialties. Groups that can get the money must be tax-exempt nonprofits or be run by a state accredited medical school, and students must show interest in a pediatric subspecialty career to take part. Nothing is required to happen, but if the board chooses to contract, the program can start with the 2025-2026 school year.

CHARGES

[ ] NONE FOUND

TOTAL

No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

LBB estimate · fiscal note version I · source

Sources

Fiscal note · version I · April 9, 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

  1. Received by the Secretary of the Senate
  2. Filed
  3. Co-author authorized
  4. Read first time
  5. Referred to Education K-16
  6. Scheduled for public hearing on . . .
  7. Considered in public hearing
  8. Testimony taken in committee
  9. Left pending in committee
  10. Considered in public hearing
  11. Vote taken in committee
  12. Reported favorably w/o amendments
  13. Recommended for local & uncontested calendar
  14. Committee report printed and distributed
  15. Placed on local & uncontested calendar
  16. Laid before the Senate
  17. Read 2nd time & passed to engrossment
  18. Vote recorded in Journal
  19. Three day rule suspended
  20. Record vote
  21. Read 3rd time
  22. Passed
  23. Record vote
  24. Reported engrossed
  25. Received from the Senate
  26. Read first time
  27. Referred to Higher Education
  28. Considered in public hearing
  29. Reported favorably w/o amendment(s)
  30. Comte report filed with Committee Coordinator
  31. Committee report distributed
  32. Committee report sent to Calendars
  33. Laid out in lieu of companion HB 4438
  34. Read 2nd time
  35. Passed to 3rd reading
  36. Record vote RV#1735
  37. Statement(s) of vote recorded in Journal
  38. Read 3rd time
  39. Passed
  40. Record vote RV#1758
  41. House passage reported
  42. Reported enrolled
  43. Signed in the Senate
  44. Signed in the House
  45. Sent to the Governor
  46. Signed by the Governor
  47. Effective immediately
FILED UNDER

TAXPAYER-FUNDED NGOS

THE TEXT

“qualify for exemption from federal income tax”…

Bill text, enrolled version (F)

The bill lets the state route program money through outside contractors, including tax-exempt nonprofits, instead of running the program itself.

SIGNED FOR BY

House · 145 yea · 0 nay

Senate · 30 yea · 1 nay

Sources

House: Final passage · May 8, 2025. Journal. Published stock for this vote. Snapshot 2026-10-19, Central time.

Senate: Final passage · Apr 24, 2025. Journal. Published stock for this vote. Snapshot 2026-10-19, Central time.

All floor motions and other positions below.

No flags

THANK YOU FOR CHECKING THE RECEIPT

CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY

CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY

Joan Huffman

Donors

Donors report through Texans for Joan Huffman.

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 · Oct 27, 2024 to Jun 30, 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.

Money

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

Votes5

House May 8, 2025

Yea
145
Nay
0
Present, not voting
2
Absent
3
Excused
0
Names

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

House journal

Sources

Record 1758

SB 1998 was passed by (Record 1758): 145 Yeas, 0 Nays, 2 Present, not voting.

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

  • Yea: 145 (published)
  • Nay: 0 (published)
  • Present, not voting: 2 (published)
  • Absent: 3 (derived from named list)
  • Excused: 0 (derived from named list)

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

House May 7, 2025

Yea
141
Nay
1
Present, not voting
1
Absent
2
Excused
5
Names

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

House journal

Sources

Record 1735

SB 1998 was passed to third reading by (Record 1735): 141 Yeas, 1 Nays, 1 Present, not voting.

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

  • Yea: 141 (published)
  • Nay: 1 (published)
  • Present, not voting: 1 (published)
  • Absent: 2 (derived from named list)
  • Excused: 5 (derived from named list)

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

Senate Apr 24, 2025

Final passage

Yea
30
Nay
1
Present, not voting
Not printed
Absent
Not printed
Excused
Not printed
Names

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

Senate journal

Names were not printed for yea. Only the named positions are included in member records.

The journal row lists three votes in order: passage to engrossment, suspension of the three-day rule, and final passage. This entry records final passage. Repeated tallies belong to separate votes.

Sources

SB 1998 (Huffman) Relating to a preceptorship program in a pediatric subspecialty for medical students in this state. (viva voce vote) (30-1) "Nay" Sparks (30-1) "Nay" Sparks

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

  • Yea: 30 (published)
  • Nay: 1 (published)
  • Present, not voting: Not printed
  • Absent: Not printed
  • Excused: Not printed

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

Senate Apr 24, 2025

Suspension of the three-day rule

Yea
30
Nay
1
Present, not voting
Not printed
Absent
Not printed
Excused
Not printed
Names

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

Senate journal

Names were not printed for yea. Only the named positions are included in member records.

The journal row lists three votes in order: passage to engrossment, suspension of the three-day rule, and final passage. This entry records suspension of the three-day rule. Repeated tallies belong to separate votes.

Sources

SB 1998 (Huffman) Relating to a preceptorship program in a pediatric subspecialty for medical students in this state. (viva voce vote) (30-1) "Nay" Sparks (30-1) "Nay" Sparks

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

  • Yea: 30 (published)
  • Nay: 1 (published)
  • Present, not voting: Not printed
  • Absent: Not printed
  • Excused: Not printed

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

Senate Apr 24, 2025

Passage to engrossment

Yea
Not printed
Nay
Not printed
Present, not voting
Not printed
Absent
Not printed
Excused
Not printed
Names

Senate journal

Names were not printed. No individual positions are inferred.

The journal row lists three votes in order: passage to engrossment, suspension of the three-day rule, and final passage. This entry records passage to engrossment. Repeated tallies belong to separate votes.

Voice vote. No numeric tally or individual yeas are inferred.

Sources

SB 1998 (Huffman) Relating to a preceptorship program in a pediatric subspecialty for medical students in this state. (viva voce vote) (30-1) "Nay" Sparks (30-1) "Nay" Sparks

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

  • Yea: Not printed
  • Nay: Not printed
  • Present, not voting: Not printed
  • Absent: Not printed
  • Excused: Not printed

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

Witnesses7
For
7
Against
0
On
0
Names

For

  • Children’s Hospital Association of Texas1 registration
  • Self1 registration
  • Self; Texas Pediatric Society1 registration
  • Texas Academy of Family Physicians1 registration
  • Texas Chapter American College Physicians1 registration
  • Texas Hospital Association1 registration
  • Texas Medical Association1 registration
Sources

7 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 I · source

Sources

Fiscal note · version I · April 9, 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 F by claude-opus-5-5, Oct 22, 2026, against the published rubric.

Sources

Texas Senate · Filed Mar 6, 2025

05/21/2025 E Effective immediately

Texas Legislature Online · Introduced · Senate Committee Report · Engrossed · House Committee Report · Enrolled

Data snapshot Oct 26, 2026 at 4:20 AM CDT. Grades, charges, quotes and corrections follow the published record.

Coauthors
Sarah EckhardtDSenate 14
Sponsors
Joanne ShofnerRHouse 11 Suleman LalaniDHouse 76
Cosponsors
Caroline Harris DavilaRHouse 52 Helen KerwinRHouse 58

House committee · Higher Education · Committee vote 10 aye, 0 nay, 1 absent · Out of committee

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

Companion

HB 4438 by Shofner (identical)

Subjects

Education--Higher--Health Institutions

PEDIATRICIANS

PHYSICIANS

HIGHER EDUCATION COORDINATING BOARD, TEXAS

Text

The text as introduced · 275 words

89R13146 JTZ-F

By: Huffman
S.B. No. 1998

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to a preceptorship program in a pediatric subspecialty for

medical students in this state.

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

SECTION 1. Chapter 58, Education Code, is amended by adding

Section 58.011 to read as follows:

Sec. 58.011. STATEWIDE PEDIATRIC SUBSPECIALTY

PRECEPTORSHIP PROGRAM. (a) In this section:

(1) "Medical school" has the meaning assigned by

Section 61.501(1), except that the term also includes the school of

osteopathic medicine at the University of the Incarnate Word.

(2) "Pediatric subspecialty" means a pediatric

medical subspecialty certification offered by a member board of the

American Board of Medical Specialties or American Osteopathic

Association.

(b) The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board may

contract with one or more organizations to operate a statewide

pediatric subspecialty preceptorship program for medical students

enrolled in Texas medical schools.

(c) An organization eligible to receive funds under this

section must:

(1) qualify for exemption from federal income tax

under Section 501, Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (26 U.S.C. Section

501); or

(2) be operated by a state accredited medical school.

(d) Students eligible to participate in the preceptorship

program under this section must indicate an interest in a career in

a pediatric subspecialty.

SECTION 2. This Act applies beginning with the 2025-2026

academic year.

SECTION 3. 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.