Texas House Bill HB 4886

Texas 2025 - 89th Regular

• Filed: 3/13/25

Caption

Relating to reporting on students not lawfully present in the United States enrolled in a public school.

Summary

HB 4886 would require Texas school districts, to the extent allowed by state and federal law, to add a citizenship or immigration-status question to enrollment forms and to report annually on students who are not lawfully present in the United States and were admitted to the district during the prior school year. The required district report would include the number of such students, the estimated cost of educating them, and whether they receive additional services such as special education, bilingual education, or interventions related to academic performance. The Texas Education Agency would then compile the district data into a statewide report for the governor and legislature. The bill also amends the Education Code to make clear that open-enrollment charter schools are subject to the new reporting requirement, and it directs the TEA to issue the first statewide report by November 1, 2026. The measure states that a student’s citizenship or immigration status may not be used to deny admission, and the enrollment question must include a statement that the response will not affect admission. The bill would apply beginning with the 2025-2026 school year, with an effective date of September 1, 2025 unless it receives immediate-effect approval.

Impact

HB 4886 would add a new Section 25.0023 to the Education Code, creating a statewide data-collection and reporting mandate tied to student citizenship or immigration status. It would require school districts and TEA to gather and publish information that is not currently required in this form, and it would extend related compliance obligations to open-enrollment charter schools through Section 12.104(b). The bill does not change admission eligibility rules, but it would impose new administrative duties on districts and the state education agency and could affect enrollment form design, recordkeeping, and reporting systems.

Sentiment

Based on the available context, the bill appears to have been introduced and referred to the House Public Education Committee without recorded votes or committee testimony in the provided materials. The bill’s structure suggests a policy focus on immigration-related school enrollment data and fiscal reporting, but there is no documented committee debate here to show formal support or opposition. As a result, the public sentiment in the available record is limited and cannot be characterized beyond the bill’s referral status.

Contention

The main point of contention is likely the requirement that districts ask about citizenship or immigration status during enrollment and report on students not lawfully present, even though the bill says the information cannot be used to deny admission. Supporters would likely frame the measure as a transparency and cost-accounting bill, while opponents may view it as discouraging enrollment, creating privacy concerns, or targeting immigrant families. Another possible issue is administrative burden on districts and TEA, including the need to estimate education costs and identify service needs for affected students.