Relating to the exemption from the assessment requirements of the Texas Success Initiative for certain students who are public officers or employees.
LowStandard timeline
Low Cost
Effective:2025-09-01
Enforcing Agencies
Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board • Public Institutions of Higher Education (Admissions/Registrar Offices)
01
Compliance Analysis
Key implementation requirements and action items for compliance with this legislation
Implementation Timeline
Effective Date: September 1, 2025 (Applies to the 2025 Fall Semester).
Compliance Deadline:May 1, 2025. While the law is effective in September, university enrollment and assessment for the Fall semester occur during the preceding Spring and Summer. HR departments must be prepared to verify employment status before enrollment cycles begin.
Agency Rulemaking: The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) will likely issue guidance regarding acceptable forms of documentation. Watch for rulemaking in Q1 2025 regarding the specific definition of "employed by a political subdivision" for EMS personnel.
Immediate Action Plan
Immediately: Audit your Tuition Reimbursement Policy to exclude funding for remedial courses for eligible Peace Officers, Fire Fighters, and Public EMS staff effective Fall 2025.
By Q1 2025: Draft the "TSI Exemption Verification" letter template for HR use.
By May 2025: Communicate this benefit to eligible employees as a workforce development incentive, encouraging them to bypass testing and enroll directly in degree programs.
Ongoing: Monitor THECB bulletins for the specific definition of "political subdivision" regarding non-profit EMS providers.
Operational Changes Required
Contracts
Collective Bargaining Agreements (CBAs): Review agreements that tie pay increases to college credit accumulation. By removing remedial prerequisites, this law accelerates the timeline for employees to achieve degree milestones. Budget for education-based pay incentives earlier than projected.
Tuition Reimbursement Agreements: Update policies to explicitly deny reimbursement for remedial/developmental coursework for exempt classifications. Since these employees are legally eligible for credit-bearing courses immediately, your organization should not subsidize unnecessary remedial classes.
Hiring/Training
HR Protocols: No new hiring requirements, but HR staff must be trained to distinguish between "Peace Officers" (exempt) and "Private Security" (non-exempt), and between "Public Sector EMS" (exempt) and "Private Sector EMS" (non-exempt) to avoid fraudulent certification to universities.
Reporting & Record-Keeping
Verification Letters: Create a standardized "TSI Exemption Verification" letter template. The letter must confirm:
1. Active employment status.
2. Statutory classification (Peace Officer under Art. 2A.001, Fire Fighter under Gov. Code 419.021, or EMT under Health & Safety Code Ch. 773).
3. Employer status as a political subdivision (for EMS).
Certification Management: Maintain accessible copies of TCOLE, TCFP, and DSHS certifications to attach to verification letters.
Fees & Costs
Cost Reduction: Organizations funding employee education will see a reduction in costs associated with TSI testing fees and non-credit remedial tuition.
Strategic Ambiguities & Considerations
Private vs. Public EMS: The statute explicitly exempts EMS personnel "employed by a political subdivision." It does not explicitly cover EMS personnel employed by private companies contracted to provide 911 services. Until THECB rules otherwise, assume private EMS contractors are excluded.
Volunteer Status: The text uses "employed" for Peace Officers and EMS, but "included as fire protection personnel" for Fire Fighters. Volunteer Fire Fighters likely qualify; Volunteer EMTs likely do not.
Reserve Officers: "Appointed" peace officers are included. Agencies must decide if they will issue verification letters for unpaid Reserve Officers, as they legally qualify under the Code of Criminal Procedure.
Need Help Understanding Implementation?
Our government affairs experts can walk you through this bill's specific impact on your operations.
Information presented is for general knowledge only and is provided without warranty, express or implied. Consult qualified government affairs professionals and legal counsel before making compliance decisions.
As proposed, S.B. 2786 amends current law relating to the applicability of the Texas Success Initiative to certain public service officers and employees.
RULEMAKING AUTHORITY
This bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, institution, or agency.
SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS
SECTION 1. Amends Subchapter F-1, Chapter 51 Education Code, Section 51.332 by adding Subsections (7)-(9), as follows:
(7) a student who is certified as an emergency medical technician by the Department of State Health Services as provided by Chapter 773 (Emergency Medical Services), Health and Safety Code, and who is employed by a political subdivision;
(8) a student who is certified who is a "firefighter" defined as fire protection personnel under Section 419.021; or
(9) a student who is a an individual elected, appointed, or employed to serve as a peace officer for a governmental entity under Article 2A.001 (Peace Officers Generally), Code of Criminal Procedure, or other law.
SECTION 2. Effective date: upon passage or September 1, 2025.
Honorable Brandon Creighton, Chair, Senate Committee on Education K-16
FROM:
Jerry McGinty, Director, Legislative Budget Board
IN RE:
SB2786 by Creighton (Relating to the applicability of the Texas Success Initiative to certain public service officers and employees.), As Introduced
No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.
It is assumed that any costs associated with the bill could be absorbed using existing resources.
Local Government Impact
No significant fiscal implication to units of local government is anticipated.
Source Agencies:
701 Texas Education Agency, 710 Texas A&M University System Administrative and General Offices, 717 Texas Southern University, 719 Texas State Technical College System Administration, 720 The University of Texas System Administration, 758 Texas State University System, 769 University of North Texas System Administration, 781 Higher Education Coordinating Board, 783 University of Houston System Administration, 966 Howard College, 978 San Jacinto College
LBB Staff:
JMc, FV, LBO, GO
Related Legislation
Explore more bills from this author and on related topics
SB2786 mandates that Texas public higher education institutions exempt peace officers, fire protection personnel, and publicly employed emergency medical services personnel from Texas Success Initiative (TSI) assessment requirements. This legislation effectively removes remedial testing barriers for these employees, accelerating their eligibility for credit-bearing courses and requiring employers to implement specific employment verification protocols for university admissions. Implementation Timeline Effective Date: September 1, 2025 (Applies to the 2025 Fall Semester).
Q
Who authored SB2786?
SB2786 was authored by Texas Senator Charles Creighton during the Regular Session.
Q
When was SB2786 signed into law?
SB2786 was signed into law by Governor Greg Abbott on June 20, 2025.
Q
Which agencies enforce SB2786?
SB2786 is enforced by Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board and Public Institutions of Higher Education (Admissions/Registrar Offices).
Q
How urgent is compliance with SB2786?
The compliance urgency for SB2786 is rated as "low". Businesses and organizations should review the requirements and timeline to ensure timely compliance.
Q
What is the cost impact of SB2786?
The cost impact of SB2786 is estimated as "low". This may vary based on industry and implementation requirements.
Q
What topics does SB2786 address?
SB2786 addresses topics including education, education--higher, education--higher--institutions & programs, fire fighters & police and fire fighters & police--general.
Legislative data provided by LegiScanLast updated: November 25, 2025
Need Strategic Guidance on This Bill?
Need help with Government Relations, Lobbying, or compliance? JD Key Consulting has the expertise you're looking for.
