HB1022

Regular Session

Relating to the course levels offered at Sul Ross State University Rio Grande College.

LowStandard timeline

Low Cost

Effective:2025-09-01

Enforcing Agencies

Texas State University System Board of Regents • Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board

Compliance Analysis

Key implementation requirements and action items for compliance with this legislation

Implementation Timeline

Effective Date: September 1, 2025
Compliance Deadline: January 1, 2026 (Operational Applicability)
*Note:* While the law is effective in September, the statutory text delays the offering of lower-division courses until the Spring 2026 semester.
Agency Rulemaking: The Texas State University System (TSUS) Board of Regents must approve curriculum changes and faculty hiring between September and December 2025. Expect course catalogs to be finalized in Q4 2025.

Immediate Action Plan

Immediate: Audit existing contracts with SRSU-RGC for volume-based pricing triggers.
Q3 2025: Update sales catalogs to include lower-division/core curriculum materials for the Spring 2026 purchasing cycle.
Q4 2025: Verify the published course catalog to gauge the actual scale of the initial freshman cohort.
December 2025: Amend scholarship and internship documentation to distinguish between lower- and upper-division student eligibility.

Operational Changes Required

Contracts

Vendor Agreements: Review Master Service Agreements (MSAs) with the university. If pricing is based on student headcount or volume, the addition of two academic classes (freshmen/sophomores) may trigger volume discount clauses or necessitate renegotiation.
Internship MOUs: Review Memoranda of Understanding regarding student placements. Current agreements may assume students possess upper-division maturity and coursework. Update terms to specify "Junior Standing or Higher" if your internships require advanced technical skills.

Hiring/Training

Recruitment Protocols: HR departments must update eligibility criteria for collegiate hires. "Enrolled Student" at SRSU-RGC no longer implies degree-completion status. Differentiate between "Student Worker" (lower-division) and "Intern" (upper-division) roles.
Premises Liability: Businesses in campus vicinities should anticipate younger demographics (18-20 year olds) compared to the previous adult-learner population. Review liability coverage regarding minors if dual-credit high school programs are expanded under this authority.

Reporting & Record-Keeping

Scholarship Bylaws: If your organization administers scholarships restricted to SRSU-RGC, review your bylaws immediately. If language specifies "transfer students," you will inadvertently exclude the new freshman cohort. Amend governance documents by December 31, 2025.
CRM Updates: Reclassify SRSU-RGC in internal systems from "Upper-Level Center" to "Four-Year Institution" to ensure sales teams pitch appropriate general education (Core Curriculum) products.

Fees & Costs

Procurement Strategy: The Legislative Budget Board indicates "No fiscal implication to the State," implying the university must fund this expansion through existing resources or tuition. Vendors should anticipate aggressive price negotiations and strict payment terms during the initial rollout phase.

Strategic Ambiguities & Considerations

Accreditation & Financial Aid: The bill authorizes the courses under state law, but federal financial aid eligibility (Title IV) requires SACSCOC accreditation approval for the substantive change. If accreditation is delayed, student enrollment—and subsequent revenue for local businesses—may be lower than projected for Spring 2026.
Curriculum Scope: The law permits lower-division courses but does not mandate a full catalog immediately. The TSUS Board has discretion on the rollout speed. Vendors should not assume a full suite of freshman 101 courses will be purchasable on Day 1.

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Legislative Timeline

This bill's path through the Texas Legislature

TopicsEducation Education--higher Education--higher--institutions & Programs Sul Ross State University Sul Ross State University--rio Grande College

Official Analysis

View HRO Analysis View All Bill Documents

BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 1022

By: Morales, Eddie

Higher Education

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Sul Ross State University has three satellite campuses in Eagle Pass, Del Rio, and Uvalde, collectively known as Sul Ross State University Rio Grande College. Under current law, students enrolled in Sul Ross State University Rio Grande College are limited to upper-level coursework and not permitted to obtain a bachelor's degree in their respective campus location. H.B. 1022 seeks to allow for these satellite campuses to offer bachelor's degree programs by removing the specification that Sul Ross State University Rio Grande College is an upper-level educational center.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.

ANALYSIS

H.B. 1022 amends the Education Code to expand the course levels that may be offered by the educational center known as Sul Ross State University Rio Grande College by removing the specification that the college is an upper-level educational center. The bill applies beginning January 1, 2028.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2025.

House Authors

Rep. Eddie MoralesDemocrat · Primary Author

Joint Authors

Coauthors (12)

Senate Sponsors

Sen. Cesar BlancoDemocrat · Primary Sponsor

Cosponsors (1)

Roland Gutierrez (D)

Bill Text(with markup)

H.B. No. 1022

View bill text in multiple formats on Texas Legislature website

Fiscal NoteView Original

	AN ACT
	relating to the course levels offered at Sul Ross State University
	Rio Grande College.
	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
	SECTION 1. Section 96.01, Education Code, is amended to
	read as follows:
	Sec. 96.01. SUL ROSS STATE UNIVERSITY. Sul Ross State
	University is a coeducational institution of higher education
	located in the city of Alpine, with an [~~upper-level~~] educational
	center known as Sul Ross State University Rio Grande College
	operated in the cities of Del Rio, Eagle Pass, and Uvalde. The
	university is under the management and control of the Board of
	Regents, Texas State University System.
	SECTION 2. This Act applies beginning January 1, 2026.
	SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.

LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
Austin, Texas

FISCAL NOTE, 89TH LEGISLATIVE REGULAR SESSION


March 24, 2025

TO:	Honorable Terry M. Wilson, Chair, House Committee on Higher Education

FROM:	Jerry McGinty, Director, Legislative Budget Board

IN RE:	HB1022 by Morales, Eddie (Relating to the course levels offered at Sul Ross State University Rio Grande College.), As Introduced

No fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

Local Government Impact

No fiscal implication to units of local government is anticipated.

Source Agencies:

758 Texas State University System, 781 Higher Education Coordinating Board

LBB Staff:

JMc, FV, LBO, GO

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Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about HB1022

What does Texas HB1022 do?

HB1022 authorizes Sul Ross State University Rio Grande College (SRSU-RGC) to offer lower-division (freshman and sophomore) coursework, effectively transforming it from an upper-level center into a comprehensive four-year university. This expansion fundamentally alters procurement needs for vendors and changes the talent pipeline for employers in the Del Rio, Eagle Pass, and Uvalde regions beginning January 1, 2026. Implementation Timeline Effective Date: September 1, 2025 Compliance Deadline: January 1, 2026 (Operational Applicability) Note:* While the law is effective in September, the statutory text delays the offering of lower-division courses until the Spring 2026 semester.

Who authored HB1022?

HB1022 was authored by Texas Representative Eddie Morales during the Regular Session.

When was HB1022 signed into law?

HB1022 was signed into law by Governor Greg Abbott on May 29, 2025.

Which agencies enforce HB1022?

HB1022 is enforced by Texas State University System Board of Regents and Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board.

How urgent is compliance with HB1022?

The compliance urgency for HB1022 is rated as "low". Businesses and organizations should review the requirements and timeline to ensure timely compliance.

What is the cost impact of HB1022?

The cost impact of HB1022 is estimated as "low". This may vary based on industry and implementation requirements.

What topics does HB1022 address?

HB1022 addresses topics including education, education--higher, education--higher--institutions & programs, sul ross state university and sul ross state university--rio grande college.

Legislative data provided by LegiScanLast updated: November 25, 2025

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