SB 549

fine arts allotment for grades 6 through 12

Died in committee

Verdict: No flags

No flagsInitial review

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 creating a fine arts allotment under the public school finance system.

Caption from analyzed text · version I.

Summary

Extra money per student in approved courses with 225 minutes a week.

The bill creates a new school funding allotment that pays districts extra money for each student in grades 6 through 12 enrolled in an approved fine arts course. The Texas Education Agency must approve and publish a list of qualifying courses, such as music, art, theater and dance, that give at least 225 minutes of instruction a week. Districts get a multiplier on the basic allotment, highest for middle school, and must spend set shares on middle school students and on lower-income students.

Labels

Labels: ZOMBIE BILL. Died 2 times: 88R SB 2084 (Died in committee) and this bill (Died in committee). Checked against 88R only.BACK FROM THE DEAD. Same text as a bill filed before that died: 88R SB 2084 (Died in committee). Filed in 2 sessions, counting this one. Checked against 88R only.TRY NO. 2. Filed in 2 sessions: 88R and 89R. Checked against 88R only.NEVER GOT A HEARING. Filed Dec 6, 2024 and referred to the Senate Education K-16 committee. No public hearing. The bill died.

Receipt

The receipt

89R-SB549 · 2024-12-06

SOLD BY

Sen. José MenéndezDSenate 26

ITEM

relating to creating a fine arts allotment under the public school finance system.

WHAT IT DOES

Extra money per student in approved courses with 225 minutes a week.

CHARGES

[ ] NONE FOUND

TOTAL

No fiscal note in the loaded record.

HISTORY

Dec 6, 2024Received by the Secretary of the Senate
Dec 6, 2024Filed
Feb 3, 2025Read first time
Feb 3, 2025Referred to Education K-16

FILED UNDER

No verified beat found.

No flags

THANK YOU FOR CHECKING THE RECEIPT

CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY

José Menéndez

Donors

Kickapoo Traditional Tribes of Texas$25K Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC$20K Texas REALTORS Political Action Committee$10K

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 2, 2024 to Oct 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.

Kickapoo Traditional Tribes of Texas$25,000.00

Kickapoo Traditional Tribes of Texas

$25,000.00

Cash: $25,000.00
Paid by others: $0.00
Total: $25,000.00

Also funds 0 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · on Jan 22, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

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

Sources

Derived itemized flow · on Jan 22, 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: 101065471.

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC$20,000.00

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC

$20,000.00

Cash: $20,000.00
Paid by others: $0.00
Total: $20,000.00

Also funds 137 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jul 24, 2024 to Oct 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team

Sources

Derived itemized flow · Dec 12, 2024 to Oct 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.

Report IDs: 101012370, 101032316, 101072614.

Texas REALTORS Political Action Committee$10,000.00

Texas REALTORS Political Action Committee

$10,000.00

Cash: $10,000.00
Paid by others: $0.00
Total: $10,000.00

Also funds 140 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jul 2, 2024 to Oct 24, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team

Sources

Derived itemized flow · on Dec 2, 2025. 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: 101032316.

Money

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

Kickapoo Traditional Tribes of Texas

$25,000.00

Cash: $25,000.00
Paid by others: $0.00
Total: $25,000.00

Also funds 0 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · on Jan 22, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

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

Sources

Derived itemized flow · on Jan 22, 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: 101065471.

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC

$20,000.00

Cash: $20,000.00
Paid by others: $0.00
Total: $20,000.00

Also funds 137 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jul 24, 2024 to Oct 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team

Sources

Derived itemized flow · Dec 12, 2024 to Oct 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.

Report IDs: 101012370, 101032316, 101072614.

Texas REALTORS Political Action Committee

$10,000.00

Cash: $10,000.00
Paid by others: $0.00
Total: $10,000.00

Also funds 140 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jul 2, 2024 to Oct 24, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team

Sources

Derived itemized flow · on Dec 2, 2025. 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: 101032316.

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.

FILED BEFORE

Filed 2 times: 88R and 89R. Checked against 88R only.

88R SB 2084

by Sen. Menéndez, same lead author · Died in committee · same text

Introduced text

Last action, Mar 21, 2023: Referred to Education

Relating to creating a fine arts allotment under the public school finance system.

Caption, 88R bill history

Sources

Texas Senate · Filed Dec 6, 2024

02/03/2025 S Referred to Education K-16

Texas Legislature Online · Introduced

Data snapshot Oct 26, 2026 at 6:51 AM CDT. Grades, charges, quotes and corrections follow the published record.

Senate committee · Education K-16 · Final status: Died in committee

Companion

HB 172 by Talarico (similar)

Subjects

Arts & Humanities

Education--Primary & Secondary--Curriculum

Education--Primary & Secondary--Finance

EDUCATION AGENCY, TEXAS

Text

The text as introduced · 375 words

By: Menéndez
S.B. No. 549

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to creating a fine arts allotment under the public school

finance system.

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

SECTION 1. Subchapter C, Chapter 48, Education Code, is

amended by adding Section 48.116 to read as follows:

Sec. 48.116. FINE ARTS ALLOTMENT. (a) For each student in

average daily attendance enrolled in a fine arts education course

approved by the agency under Subsection (b) in grades 6 through 12,

a school district is entitled to an annual allotment equal to the

basic allotment, or, if applicable, the sum of the basic allotment

and the allotment under Section 48.101 to which the district is

entitled, multiplied by:

(1) 1.3 for a student in grades 6 through 8;

(2) 1.2 for a student in grade 9 or 10; and

(3) 1.1 for a student in grade 11 or 12.

(b) The agency shall approve fine arts education courses

that qualify for the allotment provided under this section. The

approved courses must include fine arts education courses that:

(1) are authorized by the State Board of Education,

including music, art, theater, and dance;

(2) provide students with the knowledge and skills

necessary for success in the fine arts; and

(3) require a student in full-time attendance to

receive not less than 225 minutes of fine arts instruction per week.

(c) Of the funds allocated under this section:

(1) at least 25 percent of the funds allocated under

Subsection (a)(1) must be used in a manner that prioritizes

providing fine arts education to students in grades six through

eight who are eligible for the compensatory education allotment

under Section 48.104;

(2) 50 percent of the total funds allocated under this

section must be used to provide fine arts education courses to

students in grades six through eight; and

(3) except as necessary to meet the requirement under

Subdivision (2), at least 75 percent of funds allocated under

Subsections (a)(2) and (3) must be used to provide fine arts

education courses to students in grades 9 through 12.

(d) The agency shall annually publish a list of fine arts

courses approved under Subsection (b).

SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.