Texas 2025 - 89th Regular

Texas House Bill HB4707 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1	89R15904 RDR-D
2	2	By: Hopper H.B. No. 4707
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7	7	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
8	8	AN ACT
9	9	relating to the admission to public schools of children unlawfully
10	10	present in the United States and the eligibility of those children
11	11	for the benefits of the available school fund and Foundation School
12	12	Program.
13	13	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
14	14	SECTION 1. Sections 25.001(a), (b), and (c), Education
15	15	Code, are amended to read as follows:
16	16	(a) A citizen or national of the United States, or an alien
17	17	lawfully present in the United States, [person] who, on the first
18	18	day of September of any school year, is at least five years of age
19	19	and under 21 years of age, or is at least 21 years of age and under
20	20	26 years of age and is admitted by a school district to complete the
21	21	requirements for a high school diploma is entitled to the benefits
22	22	of the available school fund for that year. Any other citizen or
23	23	national of the United States or alien lawfully present in the
24	24	United States [person] enrolled in a prekindergarten class under
25	25	Section 29.153 is entitled to the benefits of the available school
26	26	fund.
27	27	(b) The board of trustees of a school district or its
28	28	designee shall admit into the public schools of the district free of
29	29	tuition a person who is a citizen or national of the United States,
30	30	or an alien lawfully present in the United States, and is over five
31	31	and younger than 21 years of age on the first day of September of the
32	32	school year in which admission is sought, and may admit a person who
33	33	is a citizen or national of the United States, or an alien lawfully
34	34	present in the United States, and is at least 21 years of age and
35	35	under 26 years of age for the purpose of completing the requirements
36	36	for a high school diploma, if:
37	37	(1) the person and either parent of the person reside
38	38	in the school district;
39	39	(2) the person does not reside in the school district
40	40	but a parent of the person resides in the school district and that
41	41	parent is a joint managing conservator or the sole managing
42	42	conservator or possessory conservator of the person;
43	43	(3) the person and the person's guardian or other
44	44	person having lawful control of the person under a court order
45	45	reside within the school district;
46	46	(4) the person has established a separate residence
47	47	under Subsection (d);
48	48	(5) the person is homeless, regardless of the
49	49	residence of the person, of either parent of the person, or of the
50	50	person's guardian or other person having lawful control of the
51	51	person;
52	52	(6) the person is a foreign exchange student placed
53	53	with a host family that resides in the school district by a
54	54	nationally recognized foreign exchange program, unless the school
55	55	district has applied for and been granted a waiver by the
56	56	commissioner under Subsection (e);
57	57	(7) the person resides at a residential facility
58	58	located in the district;
59	59	(8) the person resides in the school district and is 18
60	60	years of age or older or the person's disabilities of minority have
61	61	been removed;
62	62	(9) the person does not reside in the school district
63	63	but the grandparent of the person:
64	64	(A) resides in the school district; and
65	65	(B) provides a substantial amount of
66	66	after-school care for the person as determined by the board; or
67	67	(10) the person and either parent of the person reside
68	68	in a residence homestead, as defined by Section 11.13(j), Tax Code,
69	69	that is located on a parcel of property any part of which is located
70	70	in the school district.
71	71	(c) The board of trustees of a school district or the
72	72	board's designee may require evidence that a person is eligible to
73	73	attend the public schools of the district at the time the board or
74	74	its designee considers an application for admission of the person.
75	75	The board of trustees or its designee shall establish minimum proof
76	76	of residency, United States citizenship or nationality, or status
77	77	as an alien lawfully present in the United States acceptable to the
78	78	district. The board of trustees or its designee may make reasonable
79	79	inquiries to verify a person's eligibility for admission.
80	80	SECTION 2. Section 48.003, Education Code, is amended by
81	81	adding Subsection (e) to read as follows:
82	82	(e) Notwithstanding Subsections (a) and (b), a student who
83	83	is not a citizen or national of the United States or an alien
84	84	lawfully present in the United States is not entitled to the
85	85	benefits of the Foundation School Program.
86	86	SECTION 3. This Act applies beginning with the 2026-2027
87	87	school year.
88	88	SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.