Regular Session
Government Affairs & Regulatory Compliance Analysis
SB37 fundamentally restructures Texas public higher education by centralizing authority with Governing Boards and the Legislature while strictly limiting faculty governance. Public universities and community colleges must immediately overhaul faculty senate bylaws and executive employment contracts to avoid the automatic statutory abolition of governance bodies on September 1, 2025, and the potential withholding of state appropriations for noncompliance.
Sen. Charles Creighton·Senate Bill·Regular Session
Institution Governing Boards • State Auditor's Office • Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) • Texas Legislature
This legislation has regulatory implications for the following Texas businesses and organizations:
Significant regulatory changes (effective 2025-09-01). Review with your legal and compliance teams to understand implications.
Affected business types:
mediumModerate costs expected for implementation.
JD Key Consulting provides government affairs and regulatory strategy services. We help businesses navigate Texas agencies, understand legislative impacts, and advocate for their interests.
JD Key Consulting provides strategic guidance on Texas regulatory compliance and legislative impact for your business.
Key implementation requirements and action items for compliance with this legislation
JD Key Consulting specializes in Texas regulatory compliance strategy. Work directly with James Dickey—former Chairman of the Republican Party of Texas—to understand this bill's impact on your operations and develop an actionable compliance plan.
Schedule a ConsultationInformation 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.
This bill's path through the Texas Legislature
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Common questions about SB37
SB37 fundamentally restructures Texas public higher education by centralizing authority with Governing Boards and the Legislature while strictly limiting faculty governance. Public universities and community colleges must immediately overhaul faculty senate bylaws and executive employment contracts to avoid the automatic statutory abolition of governance bodies on September 1, 2025, and the potential withholding of state appropriations for noncompliance.
SB37 was authored by Texas Senator Charles Creighton during the Regular Session.
SB37 was signed into law by Governor Greg Abbott on June 20, 2025.
SB37 is enforced by Institution Governing Boards, State Auditor's Office, Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) and Texas Legislature.
The regulatory priority for SB37 is rated as "critical". Businesses and organizations should review the legislation to understand potential impacts.
The cost impact of SB37 is estimated as "medium". This may vary based on industry and implementation requirements.
SB37 addresses topics including education, education--higher, education--higher--faculty, education--higher--general and education--higher--institutions & programs.
Key dates for SB37: Effective date is 2025-09-01. Rulemaking: Must adopt new policies governing faculty senate selection and ratify/re-establish existing bodies to prevent automatic abolition on Sept 1, 2025. (2025-08-31); General Education Curriculum Advisory Committee must produce findings report. (2026-11-01). Consult with legal counsel regarding applicability.
SB37 establishes the following penalties: administrative/financial penalty of Withholding of State Appropriations for Failure to resolve noncompliance issues identified by the Office of the Ombudsman regarding curriculum, governance, or hiring statutes.; administrative penalty of Removal from position for Faculty senate members failing to conduct responsibilities or attending meetings; Administrators failing annual evaluations.; financial penalty of Investigation Costs for Individuals knowingly submitting false complaints to the Office of the Ombudsman.. Consult with legal counsel for specific applicability to your situation.
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.
