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Signed Into Law
Signed June 20, 2025Effective 2025-09-01
SB3039

Regular Session

Relating to the transfer of students in public higher education and to transparency regarding certificate or degree program requirements.

Government Affairs & Regulatory Compliance Analysis

SB3039: Government Affairs Overview

SB3039 imposes strict operational mandates on Texas public higher education institutions to increase transfer efficiency and data transparency. The law requires the immediate appointment of a statutory "Transfer Liaison," mandates public disclosure of specific credit denial rates, and enforces strict data uniformity across all institutional digital platforms.

Sen. Royce West·Senate Bill·Regular Session

Moderate
Low Cost
Effective:2025-09-01
Business Impact

Who SB3039 Affects

This legislation has regulatory implications for the following Texas businesses and organizations:

Regulatory Priority: moderate

Notable regulatory updates (effective 2025-09-01). Consider how these changes may affect your operations.

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Education

Affected business types:

  • School districts
  • Charter schools
  • Private schools
  • Education service providers
View all education legislation

Key Operational Considerations

  • 1Admissions Training: Staff must be retrained to flag credit denials. Every denial now triggers a potential dispute resolution process and a data entry requirement for the annual state report.

Estimated Cost Impact

lowMinimal cost impact anticipated.

Enforcing Agencies

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SB3039
Moderate
Relating to the transfer of students in public higher education and to transparency regarding certificate or degree program requirements.
Moderate Compliance Urgency
Requires near-term attention
Cost Impact
Low
Effective
2025-09-01
Enforcing Agencies
THECB
Primary Author: Sen. Royce West
89th Texas Legislature
jdkey.com
01

Compliance Analysis

Key implementation requirements and action items for compliance with this legislation

Implementation Timeline

  • Effective Date: September 1, 2025
  • Compliance Deadline:
  • Transfer Liaison Designation: September 1, 2025.
  • First Annual Report to THECB: May 1, 2026.
  • Website Uniformity Compliance: Beginning of 2026-2027 Academic Year.
  • Agency Rulemaking: The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) must adopt rules regarding website transparency (Sec. 61.07771) by January 1, 2026. Institutions are in a "regulatory gray zone" regarding specific website technical standards until these rules are published.

Immediate Action Plan

  • 1. Designate Transfer Liaison: Appoint this role immediately and define their workflow for the Fall 2025 semester.
  • 2. IT Gap Analysis: Direct the CIO and Registrar to audit the data flow between the Course Catalog, Student Portal, and Departmental websites to prepare for the uniformity mandate.
  • 3. Data Tagging: Update SIS codes to track *reasons* for credit denial starting September 1, 2025, to ensure data availability for the May 2026 report.
  • 4. Review Articulation Agreements: Audit regional partnerships to ensure they meet the new definitions regarding faculty collaboration and advising.

Operational Changes Required

Contracts

  • Articulation Agreements: Review all existing MOUs with partner colleges. The law requires these agreements to now specifically detail faculty collaboration, advising services, and financial aid alignment. Static agreements lacking these active components are non-compliant.
  • Vendor Agreements (SIS/CMS): Review contracts with Student Information System and Web Content Management vendors. You must ensure your infrastructure can push a "single source of truth" for degree requirements to the student portal, main website, and department pages simultaneously.

Hiring/Training

  • Transfer Liaison: You must designate a "Transfer Liaison" using existing resources. This individual requires specific training on Sec. 61.8231 to provide written Core and Field of Study curricula to all inbound/outbound transfer students.
  • Admissions Training: Staff must be retrained to flag credit denials. Every denial now triggers a potential dispute resolution process and a data entry requirement for the annual state report.

Reporting & Record-Keeping

  • The "Wall of Shame" (Public Disclosure): You must configure your admissions website to publicly display the top 5 majors with the highest credit denial rates and the top 5 specific courses denied. This requires continuous data ingestion from THECB.
  • Annual Transfer Report (May 1):
  • Universities: Must report specific Common Course Numbers denied, reasons for denial, and dispute resolution outcomes.
  • Junior Colleges: Must report on course transferability, distinguishing between WECM (workforce) and ACGM (academic) courses.

Fees & Costs

  • Unfunded Mandate: The Fiscal Note indicates "no significant fiscal implication to the State," meaning institutions must absorb the administrative costs of the Transfer Liaison and IT upgrades within existing budgets.

Strategic Ambiguities & Considerations

  • Definition of "Uniform": Sec. 61.07771 requires degree requirements be "uniform" across three digital locations. It is unclear if THECB rulemaking will require *identical text* (verbatim) or *substantively identical* requirements.
  • Metric Calculations: The bill requires reporting on student "success and persistence" based on metrics "measured by the coordinating board." The specific formulas for these metrics are currently undefined and will determine institutional rankings.

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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.

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Legislative Timeline

This bill's path through the Texas Legislature

Filed
Passed Senate
May 6, 2025
Passed House
May 28, 2025
Signed
Jun 20, 2025
Effective
Sep 1, 2025
TopicsEducationEducation--higherEducation--higher--admission & AttendanceEducation--higher--institutions & ProgramsEducation--higher--state CoordinationTransfer StudentsHigher Education Coordinating Board, TexasEducation--junior College Districts
03

Senate Authors

Sen. Royce WestDemocrat · Primary Author
Coauthors (4)

House Sponsor

Rep. Aicha DavisDemocrat · Primary Sponsor

Bill Text(with markup)

View bill text in multiple formats on Texas Legislature website

Fiscal NoteView Original

Related Legislation

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More from Sen. Royce West

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Related by Topic

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Quick Reference

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about SB3039

Q

What does Texas SB3039 do?

SB3039 imposes strict operational mandates on Texas public higher education institutions to increase transfer efficiency and data transparency. The law requires the immediate appointment of a statutory "Transfer Liaison," mandates public disclosure of specific credit denial rates, and enforces strict data uniformity across all institutional digital platforms.

Q

Who authored SB3039?

SB3039 was authored by Texas Senator Royce West during the Regular Session.

Q

When was SB3039 signed into law?

SB3039 was signed into law by Governor Greg Abbott on June 20, 2025.

Q

Which agencies enforce SB3039?

SB3039 is enforced by Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB).

Q

How significant are the changes in SB3039?

The regulatory priority for SB3039 is rated as "moderate". Businesses and organizations should review the legislation to understand potential impacts.

Q

What is the cost impact of SB3039?

The cost impact of SB3039 is estimated as "low". This may vary based on industry and implementation requirements.

Q

What topics does SB3039 address?

SB3039 addresses topics including education, education--higher, education--higher--admission & attendance, education--higher--institutions & programs and education--higher--state coordination.

Q

What are the key dates for SB3039?

Key dates for SB3039: Effective date is 2025-09-01. Rulemaking: Adopt rules regarding transparency in certificate and degree program requirements (Sec. 61.07771). (2026-01-01). Consult with legal counsel regarding applicability.

Need Strategic Guidance on This Legislation?

JD Key Consulting is an Austin, Texas-based government affairs firm led by James Dickey, former Chairman of the Republican Party of Texas. We specialize in Texas regulatory compliance and legislative strategy for data centers, energy, banking, and manufacturing.

Legislative data provided by LegiScanLast updated: January 11, 2026