SB3039

Each institution must designate at least one existing employee as a transfer liaison: a single contact for other institutions and the coordinating board, and a liaison for incoming or outgoing students. On a transfer or transfer request, the liaison must provide applicable core and field-of-study curricula. A receiving institution must also list completed courses it will accept and those it proposes to deny, with the existing credit-dispute procedures. After admission, the liaison must help the student obtain a degree audit to see how completed work fits curricula or may qualify for a Texas Direct associate degree or another degree or certificate. This is assistance with evaluating eligibility, not automatic admission, credit acceptance or a degree. Final law, section 61.8231.

The law expands the May 1 annual reports that public general academic teaching institutions already submitted about transfer-credit denials. Reports must now address transfer goals, success and persistence, academic and technical pathways, barriers, emerging issues, and local or regional agreements covering faculty collaboration, college-program improvements, outreach/advising, website information, targeted aid, student-success programs and degree alignment. Course-level information must include the common course number and distinguish where a course was completed from the institution that awarded or transcribed its credit. Final law, section 51.4033(a)–(b).

Public junior-college reports, also due May 1, now cover students who completed a field-of-study curriculum as well as those who transferred or earned an associate degree. The coordinating board may require additional relevant information. By December 1 of each even-numbered year, the board must report to the governor and legislative budget bodies with comparative transfer data, a study of junior-college practices and recommendations. Required comparisons include applications, admissions, aid, time to degree and bachelor’s graduation rates. Final law, sections 51.4033(c)–(d) and 51.4034.

Each institution’s admissions webpage must list the five majors or degree/certificate programs with the most courses whose credits are denied or do not count toward the program, and the five courses for each such program most often denied because they do not apply to it. The coordinating board supplies the course lists annually. These are disclosure lists, not a new permission to reject credit. Final law, section 51.4035.

The coordinating board was directed to adopt program-transparency rules by January 1, 2026. The rules must require current, accessible and consistent requirements on the applicable student, institution and department websites, including prerequisites, non-course requirements and requirements for different program tracks. Institutions must also post minimum transfer-admission requirements. Compliance with these transparency rules starts with the 2026–27 academic year. The statutory deadline does not itself establish that every institution has complied. Final law, section 61.07771 and section 5.

The introduced, Senate-report, engrossed and House-report versions had the same operative provisions. Two adopted House amendments survived in the final law: Aicha Davis’s amendment moved the board’s even-year report deadline from September 1 to December 1; Representative Howard’s amendment added the program-transparency rules, January 1, 2026 rulemaking deadline and 2026–27 institutional compliance date. Both were adopted May 27, 2025, and the Senate concurred May 30. No conference report is listed. Introduced bill; House report; Davis amendment; Howard amendment; Amendment dispositions; All versions; Final law.

Compare the published text versions in the official text index. A change is not attributed to a specific amendment here without a verified record.

Students gain a named route for advice and better visibility into credit losses and program requirements. Colleges, universities and the coordinating board must maintain information, coordinate advising and produce broader reports. Clearer information may help students avoid unsuitable courses, but the act does not guarantee faster graduation, a scholarship or acceptance of every course toward a chosen major. Existing transfer and dispute rules remain relevant. Final law.

The introduced and final-stage fiscal notes anticipate no significant state or local fiscal impact, assuming costs can be absorbed within existing resources. The liaison provision expressly requires using existing resources. These estimates are not new appropriations and do not establish that the work takes no staff time or that every student will save tuition. Introduced fiscal note; Final-stage fiscal note; Final law.