Texas House bill authored by Rep. Wilson modifies higher education funding allocation

Passed bill authored by State Rep. Terry Wilson seeks to adjust funding distribution to Texas higher education institutions based on factors like space deficit and facilities condition, aiming to create a more equitable allocation formula, according to the Texas Legislature website.

In the House, 42 Democrats and 69 Republicans voted in favor of the bill, while seven Democrats and eight Republicans opposed it.

Meanwhile, in the Senate, 10 Democrats and 20 Republicans voted in favor, while one Democrat voted against it.

Terry Wilson introduced the bill in the Texas House on Friday, March 7, during the 89th regular legislative session.

Wilson graduated from Texas A&M University in 1990 with a BS.

Wilson, a Republican, was elected to the Texas State House in 2017 to represent the state’s 20th House district, replacing previous state representative Marsha Farney.

According to the Texas Legislature, the bill’s official text was summarized as follows: ‘Relating to the amount and allocation of the annual constitutional appropriation to certain agencies and institutions of higher education and to the permissible uses of that money’.

The following is our breakdown, based on the actual bill text, and may include interpretation to clarify its provisions.

In essence, the bill amends the Texas Education Code to modify the allocation of annual constitutional appropriations to certain higher education institutions, beginning with the fiscal year ending August 31, 2026. It sets specific funding amounts for each eligible institution, distributed based on an equitable formula accounting for factors like space deficit, facilities condition, and institutional complexity. If a proposed constitutional amendment is not approved, an alternate allocation formula applies. Section 62.024 increases the annual constitutional appropriation to $590.625 million starting with the fiscal year 2026. This bill becomes effective Aug. 31, 2025, with certain sections subject to legislative approval.

The bill was co-authored by Rep. Gary VanDeaver (Republican – District 1), Rep. Matt Shaheen (Republican – District 66), and Rep. Tony Tinderholt (Republican – District 94), along with seven other authors.

The bill received its final legislative approval on Thursday, May 29, and was signed into law by Gov. Greg Abbott on Friday, June 20.

Bills in Texas go through a multi-step legislative process, including committee review, debates, and votes in both chambers before reaching a final decision. Each session, there are typically thousands of bills introduced, but only a portion successfully navigate the process to become law.

You can read more about the bills and other measures here.