Monitoring the Session

SB 2656

bill adding nursing schools to the shared application service

Died in committee

Verdict: No flags

No flagsInitial review
Sen. Lois KolkhorstRSenate 18

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 including nursing school applications in a consolidated application service.

Caption from analyzed text · version I.

Summary

Medical and dental school applications now take nursing too.

The bill requires any service that bundles applications to Texas medical or dental schools, including the one run through The University of Texas System, to also take applications for nursing schools in Texas. It touches nursing school applicants, Texas nursing schools, and the operators of the shared application service. Starting with applications for the fall 2026 semester, students could apply to nursing schools through the same central portal used for medical and dental schools.

Labels

Labels: QUICK READ: 137 WORDS. The bill as filed runs 137 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).

Receipt

The receipt

89R-SB2656 · 2025-03-13

SOLD BY

Sen. Lois KolkhorstRSenate 18

ITEM

relating to including nursing school applications in a consolidated application service.

WHAT IT DOES

Medical and dental school applications now take nursing too.

The bill requires any service that bundles applications to Texas medical or dental schools, including the one run through The University of Texas System, to also take applications for nursing schools in Texas. It touches nursing school applicants, Texas nursing schools, and the operators of the shared application service. Starting with applications for the fall 2026 semester, students could apply to nursing schools through the same central portal used for medical and dental schools.

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

Lois Kolkhorst

Donors

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC$60KBorder Health PAC$35KSRR Ranches, LLC$30K

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 11, 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 · Nov 19, 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: 101007416, 101012417, 101070754.

Border Health PAC$35,000.00

Border Health PAC

$35,000.00

Cash
$35,000.00
Paid by others
$0.00
Total
$35,000.00

Also funds 17 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Oct 28, 2024 to Aug 26, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team
Sources

Derived itemized flow · on Dec 6, 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: 101012417.

SRR Ranches, LLC$30,000.00

SRR Ranches, LLC

$30,000.00

Cash
$30,000.00
Paid by others
$0.00
Total
$30,000.00

Also funds 3 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Oct 23, 2024 to Oct 8, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

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

Sources

Derived itemized flow · Oct 23, 2024 to Oct 1, 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: 101012417, 101070754.

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 · Nov 19, 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: 101007416, 101012417, 101070754.

×

Border Health PAC

$35,000.00

Cash
$35,000.00
Paid by others
$0.00
Total
$35,000.00

Also funds 17 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Oct 28, 2024 to Aug 26, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team
Sources

Derived itemized flow · on Dec 6, 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: 101012417.

×

SRR Ranches, LLC

$30,000.00

Cash
$30,000.00
Paid by others
$0.00
Total
$30,000.00

Also funds 3 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Oct 23, 2024 to Oct 8, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

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

Sources

Derived itemized flow · Oct 23, 2024 to Oct 1, 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: 101012417, 101070754.

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 Mar 13, 2025

04/03/2025 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

Companion

HB 2851 by Howard (identical)

Subjects

Education--Higher--Admission & Attendance

Education--Higher--Health Institutions

Health Care Providers

NURSES & NURSE AIDES

UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS SYSTEM

Text

The text as introduced · 137 words

89R6086 AND-D

By: Kolkhorst
S.B. No. 2656

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to including nursing school applications in a consolidated

application service.

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

SECTION 1. Subchapter S, Chapter 51, Education Code, is

amended by adding Section 51.765 to read as follows:

Sec. 51.765. NURSING SCHOOL APPLICATION CONSOLIDATION. A

service or organization that provides consolidated application

services for applications to medical schools or dental schools,

including the Texas Medical and Dental Schools Application Service

operated through The University of Texas System, must include

applications for nursing schools in this state.

SECTION 2. Section 51.765, Education Code, as added by this

Act, applies beginning with applications for admission to a nursing

school for the 2026 fall semester.

SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.