A new bill authored by State Rep. Ward Johnson in the Texas House seeks to revise how residency status is determined for tuition at public higher education institutions in Texas, according to the Texas Legislature website.
The bill on Crimes, Health, and Minors category, introduced as HB 160 during the 89(1) legislative session on Monday, July 21, was formally listed with the short title: ’Relating to requiring a warning on the labeling of certain consumable hemp products distributed or sold in this state’.
The following is our breakdown, based on the actual bill text, and may include interpretation to clarify its provisions.
In essence, this bill revises the criteria for resident status determination in Texas public higher education institutions, excluding those not authorized under federal statute to be present in the U.S. as residents for tuition purposes. It outlines documentation requirements to substantiate residency claims, mandates reclassification in the event of erroneous resident status assignment, and details financial liabilities for associated tuition differences. Institutions must notify law enforcement upon learning of unauthorized presence situations. It also allows certain institutions near state borders to propose lower nonresident tuition rates, excluding unauthorized individuals from such rates. The bill applies beginning with the 2025 fall semester, with differing effective dates contingent upon legislative approval.
Charlene Ward Johnson, a member of the House Committee on Culture, Recreation & Tourism, proposed no other bills during the 89(1) legislative session. She is also a member of the House Committee on Higher Education.
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.
| Bill Number | Date Introduced | Short Description |
|---|---|---|
| HB 5257 | 03/14/2025 | Relating to mental health first aid training for certain school district volunteers |
| HB 5235 | 03/14/2025 | Relating to the permitting of certain concrete plants located in an area of a municipality not subject to zoning regulations |
| HB 5233 | 03/14/2025 | Relating to the examination required for licensing as a social worker |
| HB 5230 | 03/14/2025 | Relating to emergency response management training for certain administrators and security personnel at public schools |
| HB 5228 | 03/14/2025 | Relating to the collection of certain incident-based data reported to the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement |
| HB 4658 | 03/12/2025 | Relating to the assistance or cooperation of campus police departments, certain local governmental entities, and personnel of places of worship with federal immigration officers at a place of worship |
| HB 4361 | 03/11/2025 | Relating to establishing policies regarding the timely issuance of emergency notifications at public institutions of higher education |
| HB 4261 | 03/10/2025 | Relating to the licensing of certain social workers; imposing a fee |
| HB 3691 | 03/04/2025 | Relating to electronic submission of an application for an early voting ballot by mail by certain persons |
| HB 3549 | 02/28/2025 | Relating to requiring a school district or open-enrollment charter school to report data regarding certain disciplinary or law enforcement actions taken against students |
| HB 3343 | 02/25/2025 | Relating to the duties of peace officers investigating a family violence allegation or responding to a disturbance call that may involve family violence |
| HB 3342 | 02/25/2025 | Relating to the adjustment of the average daily attendance of a school district due to unsafe conditions |
| HB 3341 | 02/25/2025 | Relating to providing to parents a copy of certain procedures included in a public school’s multihazard emergency operations plan |
| HB 3340 | 02/25/2025 | Relating to the authority of a municipality to establish rent control for persons 65 years of age or older |
| HB 3339 | 02/25/2025 | Relating to a study on maternal mortality and morbidity among Black women in this state |
| HB 3338 | 02/25/2025 | Relating to the permitting of certain concrete plants located in an area of a municipality not subject to zoning regulations |
| HB 3337 | 02/25/2025 | Relating to semiannual inspections for elevators, escalators, and related equipment |
