Monitoring the Session

SB 2840

bill requiring competency-based degrees in high-demand fields

Died in committee

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 that competency-based baccalaureate degree programs be offered at certain public institutions of higher education.

Caption from analyzed text · version I.

Summary

Each university system offers them at one or more schools.

The bill requires each Texas public university system to make sure at least one of its schools offers competency-based bachelor's degree programs in every high-demand field of study, as defined by the state higher education coordinating board. It touches university system administrations, their campuses, the coordinating board, and students who enroll in these programs. Starting with the 2026-2027 school year, these programs must exist, subject to board approval, and cannot cost an enrolled student more than $10,000 in total.

Receipt

The receipt

89R-SB2840 · 2025-03-14

SOLD BY

Sen. Adam HinojosaRSenate 27

ITEM

relating to requiring that competency-based baccalaureate degree programs be offered at certain public institutions of higher education.

WHAT IT DOES

Each university system offers them at one or more schools.

The bill requires each Texas public university system to make sure at least one of its schools offers competency-based bachelor's degree programs in every high-demand field of study, as defined by the state higher education coordinating board. It touches university system administrations, their campuses, the coordinating board, and students who enroll in these programs. Starting with the 2026-2027 school year, these programs must exist, subject to board approval, and cannot cost an enrolled student more than $10,000 in total.

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

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.

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 14, 2025

04/07/2025 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 4848 by Harris Davila (identical)

Subjects

Education--Higher--Institutions & Programs

Education--Higher--Tuition

Labor--Workforce Development

HIGHER EDUCATION COORDINATING BOARD, TEXAS

Text

The text as introduced · 206 words

89R8584 KJE-D

By: Hinojosa of Nueces
S.B. No. 2840

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to requiring that competency-based baccalaureate degree

programs be offered at certain public institutions of higher

education.

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

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

amended by adding Section 51.3535 to read as follows:

Sec. 51.3535. RESPONSIBILITY OF SYSTEM ADMINISTRATION

REGARDING COMPETENCY-BASED EDUCATION. (a) In this section:

(1) "Competency-based baccalaureate degree program"

has the meaning assigned by Section 56.521.

(2) "Coordinating board" means the Texas Higher

Education Coordinating Board.

(b) Subject to coordinating board approval under Section

61.0512, the system administration of each system shall ensure that

one or more institutions of higher education in the system offer

competency-based baccalaureate degree programs in each field of

study in high demand, as determined by coordinating board rule.

(c) A competency-based baccalaureate degree program offered

under this section may not exceed a total cost of $10,000 to an

enrolled student.

(d) The coordinating board may adopt rules as necessary to

administer this section.

SECTION 2. Section 51.3535, Education Code, as added by

this Act, applies beginning with the 2026-2027 academic year.

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