Monitoring the Session

SB 2231

Free College Application Week, second full week of October

Became law

Verdict: No flags

No flagsInitial review
Sen. Adam HinojosaRSenate 27

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 requiring the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board to waive fees for admission applications submitted to public institutions of higher education during certain periods.

Caption from analyzed text · version I.

Summary

No application fee at any public college that week.

The bill requires the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board to name the second full week of October each year as Free College Application Week. During that week, anyone in Texas can apply for undergraduate admission to any public college or university without paying an application fee. It starts with the 2025-2026 school year and takes effect right away if two-thirds of each house votes for it, or September 1, 2025 otherwise.

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-SB2231 · 2025-03-11

SOLD BY

Sen. Adam HinojosaRSenate 27

+ 2 coauthors

ITEM

relating to requiring the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board to waive fees for admission applications submitted to public institutions of higher education during certain periods.

WHAT IT DOES

No application fee at any public college that week.

The bill requires the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board to name the second full week of October each year as Free College Application Week. During that week, anyone in Texas can apply for undergraduate admission to any public college or university without paying an application fee. It starts with the 2025-2026 school year and takes effect right away if two-thirds of each house votes for it, or September 1, 2025 otherwise.

CHARGES

[ ] NONE FOUND

TOTAL

No first-year general revenue figure available here.

LBB estimate · fiscal note version I · source

Sources

Fiscal note · version I · April 2, 2025

No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated. Based on information provided by institutions of higher education, implementation of the bill could result in a loss of fee revenue at several of their component institutions. This revenue is classified as Institutional Funds which are not appropriated in the General Appropriations Act, and therefore not a cost to the State.

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. Considered in public hearing
  10. Vote taken in committee
  11. Reported favorably w/o amendments
  12. Recommended for local & uncontested calendar
  13. Committee report printed and distributed
  14. Co-author authorized
  15. Co-author authorized
  16. Placed on local & uncontested calendar
  17. Laid before the Senate
  18. Read 2nd time & passed to engrossment
  19. Vote recorded in Journal
  20. Three day rule suspended
  21. Record vote
  22. Read 3rd time
  23. Passed
  24. Record vote
  25. Reported engrossed
  26. Received from the Senate
  27. Read first time
  28. Referred to Higher Education
  29. Considered in public hearing
  30. Reported favorably w/o amendment(s)
  31. Comte report filed with Committee Coordinator
  32. Committee report distributed
  33. Committee report sent to Calendars
  34. Laid out in lieu of companion HB 4912
  35. Read 2nd time
  36. Passed to 3rd reading
  37. Record vote RV#1727
  38. Statement(s) of vote recorded in Journal
  39. Read 3rd time
  40. Passed
  41. Record vote RV#1756
  42. House passage reported
  43. Reported enrolled
  44. Signed in the Senate
  45. Signed in the House
  46. Sent to the Governor
  47. Signed by the Governor
  48. Effective immediately
FILED UNDER

No verified beat found.

SIGNED FOR BY

House · 122 yea · 25 nay

Senate · 29 yea · 2 nay

Sources

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

Senate: Final passage · Apr 16, 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

Adam Hinojosa

Donors

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC$100KMayes Middleton$34,597Greg Abbott Campaign$33K

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 28, 2024 to May 5, 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$100,000.00

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC

$100,000.00

Cash
$100,000.00
Paid by others
$0.00
Total
$100,000.00

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 · on Oct 28, 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: 100989239.

Mayes Middleton$34,596.72
Greg Abbott Campaign$33,489.82

Greg Abbott Campaign

$33,489.82

Cash
$0.00
Paid by others
$33,489.82
Total
$33,489.82
travel $16,942.43text $12,002.83event $4,544.56

Also funds 9 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Oct 29, 2024 to Sep 2, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Name match, not a verified identity: normalized filed name and state.

Team
Sources

Derived itemized flow · Oct 29, 2024 to Nov 12, 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: 100989239.

Money

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

×

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC

$100,000.00

Cash
$100,000.00
Paid by others
$0.00
Total
$100,000.00

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 · on Oct 28, 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: 100989239.

×

Greg Abbott Campaign

$33,489.82

Cash
$0.00
Paid by others
$33,489.82
Total
$33,489.82
travel $16,942.43text $12,002.83event $4,544.56

Also funds 9 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Oct 29, 2024 to Sep 2, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Name match, not a verified identity: normalized filed name and state.

Team
Sources

Derived itemized flow · Oct 29, 2024 to Nov 12, 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: 100989239.

Votes5

House May 8, 2025

Yea
122
Nay
25
Present, not voting
2
Absent
1
Excused
0
Names

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

House journal

Sources

Record 1756

SB 2231 was passed by (Record 1756): 122 Yeas, 25 Nays, 2 Present, not voting.

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

  • Yea: 122 (published)
  • Nay: 25 (published)
  • Present, not voting: 2 (published)
  • Absent: 1 (derived from named list)
  • Excused: 0 (derived from named list)

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

House May 7, 2025

Yea
101
Nay
24
Present, not voting
1
Absent
3
Excused
21
Names

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

House journal

Sources

Record 1727

SB 2231 was passed to third reading by (Record 1727): 101 Yeas, 24 Nays, 1 Present, not voting.

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

  • Yea: 101 (published)
  • Nay: 24 (published)
  • Present, not voting: 1 (published)
  • Absent: 3 (derived from named list)
  • Excused: 21 (derived from named list)

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

Senate Apr 16, 2025

Final passage

Yea
29
Nay
2
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 2231 (A. Hinojosa) Relating to requiring the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board to waive fees for admission applications submitted to public institutions of higher education during certain periods. (viva voce vote) (29-2) "Nays" Hughes, Sparks (29-2) "Nays" Hughes, Sparks

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

  • Yea: 29 (published)
  • Nay: 2 (published)
  • Present, not voting: Not printed
  • Absent: Not printed
  • Excused: Not printed

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

Senate Apr 16, 2025

Suspension of the three-day rule

Yea
29
Nay
2
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 2231 (A. Hinojosa) Relating to requiring the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board to waive fees for admission applications submitted to public institutions of higher education during certain periods. (viva voce vote) (29-2) "Nays" Hughes, Sparks (29-2) "Nays" Hughes, Sparks

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

  • Yea: 29 (published)
  • Nay: 2 (published)
  • Present, not voting: Not printed
  • Absent: Not printed
  • Excused: Not printed

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

Senate Apr 16, 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 2231 (A. Hinojosa) Relating to requiring the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board to waive fees for admission applications submitted to public institutions of higher education during certain periods. (viva voce vote) (29-2) "Nays" Hughes, Sparks (29-2) "Nays" Hughes, 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.

Witnesses3
For
3
Against
0
On
0
Names

For

  • EdTrust in Texas1 registration
  • Philanthropy Advocates1 registration
  • Self1 registration
Sources

3 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 first-year general revenue figure available here.

LBB estimate · fiscal note version I · source

Sources

Fiscal note · version I · April 2, 2025

No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated. Based on information provided by institutions of higher education, implementation of the bill could result in a loss of fee revenue at several of their component institutions. This revenue is classified as Institutional Funds which are not appropriated in the General Appropriations Act, and therefore not a cost to the State.

LBB published estimates · flow over the stated periods.

Source snapshot 2026-10-19, Central time.

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 Mar 11, 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
Angela PaxtonRSenate 8 Royce WestDSenate 23
Sponsors
Terry M. WilsonRHouse 20

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

Senate committee · Education K-16 · Committee vote 10 aye, 0 nay, 1 absent · Out of committee

Companion

HB 4912 by Wilson (very similar)

Subjects

Education--Higher--Admission & Attendance

Education--Higher--State Coordination

Education--Higher--Student Fees

HIGHER EDUCATION COORDINATING BOARD, TEXAS

Text

The text as introduced · 205 words

89R6255 AND-D

By: Hinojosa of Nueces
S.B. No. 2231

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to requiring the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board

to waive fees for admission applications submitted to public

institutions of higher education during certain periods.

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

SECTION 1. Subchapter C, Chapter 61, Education Code, is

amended by adding Section 61.0731 to read as follows:

Sec. 61.0731. WAIVER OF CERTAIN APPLICATION FEES; FREE

COLLEGE APPLICATION WEEK. (a) The board shall designate the second

full week of October as Free College Application Week. During the

designated week, the board shall permit individuals in this state

to apply to any institution of higher education for undergraduate

admission without paying an application fee.

(b) The board may adopt rules as necessary to implement

Subsection (a).

SECTION 2. Section 61.0731, Education Code, as added by

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.