An accreditor the U.S. Department of Education recognizes, for every law school.
The bill requires every law school at a Texas public or private college or university to be accredited by an accreditor that the U.S. Department of Education recognizes for institutional accreditation of law schools. It touches public and private institutions of higher education that run law schools. The bill names no specific accreditor and sets no penalty, so what changes depends on which accreditors hold that federal recognition.
Labels
Labels: GOT HALFWAY. Passed the Senate on May 7, 2025. Died in the House: voted out of the Higher Education committee 7-4, no floor vote.
relating to the accreditation of law schools in this state.
WHAT IT DOES
An accreditor the U.S. Department of Education recognizes, for every law school.
The bill requires every law school at a Texas public or private college or university to be accredited by an accreditor that the U.S. Department of Education recognizes for institutional accreditation of law schools. It touches public and private institutions of higher education that run law schools. The bill names no specific accreditor and sets no penalty, so what changes depends on which accreditors hold that federal recognition.
CHARGES
[ ] NONE FOUND
TOTAL
No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.
Senator Middleton moved to suspend the regular order of business to take up for consideration CSSB 2533 at this time on its third reading and final passage: CSSB 2533, Relating to the accreditation of law schools in this state. The motion prevailed by the following vote: Yeas 20, Nays 11.
Published stock of positions for this vote, except where marked derived.
Yea: 20 (published)
Nay: 11 (published)
Present, not voting: Not printed
Absent: 0 (derived from named list)
Excused: 0 (derived from named list)
Senate journal. Source snapshot 2026-10-19, Central time.
Senator Middleton moved to suspend the regular order of business to take up for consideration CSSB 2533 at this time on its second reading: CSSB 2533, Relating to the accreditation of law schools in this state. The motion prevailed by the following vote: Yeas 20, Nays 11.
Published stock of positions for this vote, except where marked derived.
Yea: 20 (published)
Nay: 11 (published)
Present, not voting: Not printed
Absent: 0 (derived from named list)
Excused: 0 (derived from named list)
Senate journal. Source snapshot 2026-10-19, Central time.
Witnesses2
For
0
Against
2
On
0
Names
Against
Self1 registration
Texas AFT-AAUP1 registration
Sources
2 parsed registrations across the loaded witness lists.
Derived stock of witness registrations. Repeated appearances count separately. Organizations and self-representation appear as printed.
House committee · Higher Education · Committee vote 7 aye, 4 nay · Out of committee
Senate committee · State Affairs · Committee vote 8 aye, 1 nay, 2 absent · Out of committee
Subjects
Education--Higher--Institutions & Programs
Lawyers
Text
The text as introduced · 172 words
89R16300 CXP-D
By: Middleton
S.B. No. 2533
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to the accreditation of law schools in this state.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Subchapter Z, Chapter 51, Education Code, is
amended by adding Section 51.984 to read as follows:
Sec. 51.984. LAW SCHOOL ACCREDITATION. (a) In this
section, "institution of higher education" and "private or
independent institution of higher education" have the meanings
assigned by Section 61.003.
(b) A law school at an institution of higher education or
private or independent institution of higher education must be
accredited by an accreditor recognized by the United States
Department of Education for the purposes of institutional
accreditation of law schools.
SECTION 2. 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.
Monitoring 
