SB 2815
bill letting students keep the old school name on diplomas
Died in committee
Verdict: No flags
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 the diploma designation of an institution of higher education.
Caption from analyzed text · version I.
Summary
College merges or renames? Students enrolled then pick either name.
The bill requires a Texas public college or university that merges or changes its name to let each student enrolled at the time of the change choose a diploma with either the new name or the old name. It touches public institutions of higher education and the students enrolled when a merger or renaming happens. Starting with the 2025-2026 academic year, affected students get a choice of which school name appears on their diploma.
Labels
Labels: QUICK READ: 135 WORDS. The bill as filed runs 135 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-SB2815 · 2025-03-14
SOLD BY
ITEM
relating to the diploma designation of an institution of higher education.
WHAT IT DOES
College merges or renames? Students enrolled then pick either name.
The bill requires a Texas public college or university that merges or changes its name to let each student enrolled at the time of the change choose a diploma with either the new name or the old name. It touches public institutions of higher education and the students enrolled when a merger or renaming happens. Starting with the 2025-2026 academic year, affected students get a choice of which school name appears on their diploma.
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 15, 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
- Received by the Secretary of the Senate
- Filed
- Read first time
- Referred to Education K-16
- Scheduled for public hearing on . . .
- Considered in public hearing
- Testimony taken in committee
- Left pending in committee
FILED UNDER
No verified beat found.
THANK YOU FOR CHECKING THE RECEIPT
CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY
CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY
Donors
Donors report through Friends of Brandon Creighton.
Not tied to this bill.
Sources
The author's campaign account only. Own money and internal transfers are separate on the member page.
$0 raised since Jul 1, 2024. Derived sum of published report totals. blank in the state's data, consistent with zero. Flow, Jul 1, 2024 through Jun 30, 2026. State filing data as of Nov 4, 2026. 4 of 4 filed reports carry a published figure.
Report 101060909: Published total from the filed report. Retrieved Oct 29, 2026. Filed report 101060909
$0 spent Jan 1, 2026 to Jun 30, 2026. Published total from the filed report. Flow, Jan 1, 2026 through Jun 30, 2026. State filing data as of Nov 4, 2026. 1 of 1 filed reports carry a published figure.
Report 101060909: Published total from the filed report. Retrieved Oct 29, 2026. Filed report 101060909
$0 cash on hand. Published report total. Stock, as of Jun 30, 2026. State filing data as of Nov 4, 2026.
$0 loans outstanding. Published report total. Stock, as of Jun 30, 2026. State filing data as of Nov 4, 2026.
Derived sum of itemized contributions in regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Unitemized contributions are not included. Flow, Jul 1, 2024 through Jun 30, 2026. State filing data as of Nov 4, 2026.
MoneyMissing data does not establish zero giving. Display amounts are rounded.
Votes
No floor vote loaded for this bill.
Fiscal
No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.
LBB estimate · fiscal note version I · source
Sources
Fiscal note · version I · April 15, 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 I by claude-opus-5-5, Oct 20, 2026, against the published rubric.
Sources
Texas Senate · Filed Mar 14, 2025
04/16/2025 S Left pending in committee
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 5180 by Wilson (identical)
Subjects
Education--Higher--General
Text
The text as introduced · 135 words
By: Creighton S.B. No. 2815 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT relating to the diploma designation of an institution of higher education. BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: SECTION 1. Subchapter Z, Chapter 51, Education Code, is amended by adding Section 51.997 to read as follows: Sec. 51.997. DIPLOMA DESIGNATION IN THE CASE OF A MERGER. If an institution of higher education, as defined by Section 61.003, Education Code, merges or changes names, the institution shall offer each student enrolled at the time of the name change the option to receive a diploma with the new institution name or the former institution name. SECTION 2. The changes in law made by this act apply beginning with the 2025-2026 academic year. SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.