Rep. Hillary Hickland introduced HB 3148, a bill on Education, to the Texas House on Friday, Feb. 21 during the 89(R) legislative session, according to the Texas Legislature website.
More specifically, the official text was summarized by the state legislature as ’’relating to the automatic admission of students to general academic teaching institutions’’.
The following is our breakdown, based on the actual bill text, and may include interpretation to clarify its provisions.
The bill revises the criteria for automatic admission to general academic teaching institutions in Texas, effective for the 2029-30 academic year. It stipulates that institutions are not required to admit more than 50% of their first-time resident undergraduate enrollment capacity through automatic admissions. If applicants exceed this threshold, admissions are offered based on class rank percentile, starting from the highest. Institutions must notify school districts by Sept. 15 of the qualifying percentile ranks for the next year. Additionally, institutions must report progress by Dec. 31 each year on geographic diversity, outreach efforts, recruiting underrepresented demographics, and improving regional recruitment. The act takes effect Sept. 1, 2025.
Hillary Hickland, a member of the House Committee on Homeland Security, Public Safety & Veterans’ Affairs, proposed another 28 bills during the 89(R) legislative session. She is also a member of the House Committee on S/C on Defense & Veterans’ Affairs, a member of the House Committee on Redistricting, and a member of the House Committee on Ways & Means.
Hickland graduated from Baylor University with a BA.
Hillary Hickland is currently serving in the Texas State House, representing the state’s 55th House district. She replaced previous state representative Hugh Shine in 2025.
Bills in Texas go through a multi-step legislative process, including committee review, debates, and votes in both chambers before reaching a final decision. Each session, there are typically thousands of bills introduced, but only a portion successfully navigate the process to become law.
You can read more about the bills and other measures here.
| Legislative Session | Author | Bill Number | Date Introduced | Short Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 89(R) | Hillary Hickland | HB 3147 | 02/21/2025 | Relating to fiscal reporting by public schools |
| 89(R) | Hillary Hickland | HB 3013 | 02/19/2025 | Relating to a restriction on the use of public money by a school district regarding the passage of a bond proposal |
| 89(R) | Hillary Hickland | HB 2894 | 02/14/2025 | Relating to the provision of state aid to certain local governments disproportionately affected by the granting of ad valorem tax relief to disabled veterans |
| 89(R) | Hillary Hickland | HB 2569 | 02/07/2025 | Relating to the applicability of certain parental notification requirements to school districts of innovation |
| 89(R) | Hillary Hickland | HB 2449 | 02/05/2025 | Relating to discovery requirements for pro se defendants in a criminal case |
| 89(R) | Hillary Hickland | HB 2444 | 02/05/2025 | Relating to the creation of the criminal offense of harmful communication to a minor |
| 89(R) | Hillary Hickland | HB 2443 | 02/05/2025 | Relating to requiring the Texas Education Agency to prepare a report regarding public education mandates |
| 89(R) | Hillary Hickland | HB 2028 | 01/23/2025 | Relating to the Internet and other electronic posting of notices and agendas for meetings under the open meetings law |
| 89(R) | Hillary Hickland | HB 1985 | 01/22/2025 | Relating to the age limit for a beginning position in a fire department under municipal civil service |
| 89(R) | Hillary Hickland | HB 1983 | 01/22/2025 | Relating to creating the criminal offense of child endangerment involving smuggling across an international border |
| 89(R) | Hillary Hickland | HB 1981 | 01/22/2025 | Relating to the use of public resources by a public school officer or employee to engage in certain political activities |
| 89(R) | Hillary Hickland | HB 1980 | 01/22/2025 | Relating to a court order for retroactive child support, including for retroactive child support beginning on the date of the child’s conception |
| 89(R) | Hillary Hickland | HB 1742 | 01/06/2025 | Relating to protesting changes to municipal zoning regulations and boundaries |
| 89(R) | Hillary Hickland | HB 1551 | 12/09/2024 | Relating to the notification of parents of students enrolled in public school regarding certain alleged criminal conduct by an employee |
| 89(R) | Hillary Hickland | HB 1549 | 12/09/2024 | Relating to restrictions on the sale of obscene devices; providing a civil penalty |
| 89(R) | Hillary Hickland | HB 1512 | 12/04/2024 | Relating to reporting the number of children known or reasonably believed to not be citizens of the United States enrolled in a public school and to requesting reimbursement from the United States government for the cost of educating those children |
| 89(R) | Hillary Hickland | HB 1511 | 12/04/2024 | Relating to the authority of a political subdivision to adopt or enforce a juvenile curfew; creating criminal offenses |
| 89(R) | Hillary Hickland | HB 1509 | 12/04/2024 | Relating to the offense of failure to stop or report aggravated sexual assault of a child; increasing a criminal penalty |
| 89(R) | Hillary Hickland | HB 1465 | 11/25/2024 | Relating to the prosecution of the criminal offense of invasive visual recording and the applicability of sex offender registration requirements to that offense |
| 89(R) | Hillary Hickland | HB 1435 | 11/21/2024 | Relating to an expedited response by a governmental body to a request for public information |
| 89(R) | Hillary Hickland | HB 1434 | 11/21/2024 | Relating to affirmative defenses to prosecution for certain offenses involving material or conduct that is obscene or otherwise harmful to children |
| 89(R) | Hillary Hickland | HB 1433 | 11/21/2024 | Relating to efficiency audits for certain political subdivisions |
| 89(R) | Hillary Hickland | HB 1314 | 11/13/2024 | Relating to price estimates and billing requirements for certain health care facilities |
| 89(R) | Hillary Hickland | HB 1313 | 11/13/2024 | Relating to the use by a school district or a school district employee of public funds for lobbying activities |
| 89(R) | Hillary Hickland | HB 1312 | 11/13/2024 | Relating to a person submitting proof of citizenship to verify eligibility to vote in Texas |
| 89(R) | Hillary Hickland | HB 1311 | 11/13/2024 | Relating to a limitation on rules, bylaws, and policies adopted by a school district’s board of trustees |
| 89(R) | Hillary Hickland | HB 1310 | 11/13/2024 | Relating to an annual report on the costs to this state and political subdivisions of providing health care services to foreign patients |
| 89(R) | Hillary Hickland | HB 1309 | 11/13/2024 | Relating to the applicability of the law governing the provision of state aid to certain local governments disproportionately affected by the granting of ad valorem tax relief to disabled veterans and to the effect of the receipt of such aid on the maintenance and operations ad valorem tax rate of a local government |
| 88(R) | Hugh Shine | HB 5360 | 04/10/2023 | Relating to the creation of the Deer Creek Ranch Municipal Utility District No. 1; granting a limited power of eminent domain; providing authority to issue bonds; providing authority to impose assessments, fees, and taxes |
| 88(R) | Hugh Shine | HB 4859 | 03/10/2023 | Relating to discontinuing group self-insurance coverage and dissolving the Texas self-insurance group guaranty fund and trust fund under the Texas Workers’ Compensation Act |
| 88(R) | Hugh Shine | HB 4890 | 03/10/2023 | Relating to installment payments of ad valorem taxes |
| 88(R) | Hugh Shine | HB 4335 | 03/09/2023 | Relating to certain requirements applicable to certain municipal economic development programs and grants |
| 88(R) | Hugh Shine | HB 4371 | 03/09/2023 | Relating to an exemption from sales and use taxes for certain items used by or for certain life sciences campuses |
| 88(R) | Hugh Shine | HB 4463 | 03/09/2023 | Relating to the authority to file an application for certain ad valorem tax exemptions after the filing deadline if an exemption for the property was previously canceled because it was erroneously granted |
| 88(R) | Hugh Shine | HB 4512 | 03/09/2023 | Relating to the entitlement of a property owner to receive a discount for making an early payment of the ad valorem taxes on the owner’s property |
| 88(R) | Hugh Shine | HB 4634 | 03/09/2023 | Relating to the procedure for protests before appraisal review boards |
| 88(R) | Hugh Shine | HB 4101 | 03/08/2023 | Relating to the matters that may be the subject of limited binding arbitration to compel compliance with procedural requirements related to protests before appraisal review boards |
| 88(R) | Hugh Shine | HB 4232 | 03/08/2023 | Relating to publication of public improvement district service plans and assessments on certain public Internet websites |
| 88(R) | Hugh Shine | HB 3804 | 03/07/2023 | Relating to fire protection sprinkler system requirements for certain residential buildings by municipalities, counties, and emergency services districts |
| 88(R) | Hugh Shine | HB 3806 | 03/07/2023 | Relating to rules or procedures of the Commission on Jail Standards regarding prisoner visitation |
| 88(R) | Hugh Shine | HB 3894 | 03/07/2023 | Relating to an exemption from sales and use taxes for battery energy storage systems |
| 88(R) | Hugh Shine | HB 2956 | 02/28/2023 | Relating to municipal annexation of an area adjacent to contiguous or connecting railroad rights-of-way |
| 88(R) | Hugh Shine | HB 2706 | 02/23/2023 | Relating to the regulation of manufactured homes |
| 88(R) | Hugh Shine | HB 2782 | 02/23/2023 | Relating to the age limit for a beginning position in a fire department under municipal civil service |
| 88(R) | Hugh Shine | HB 2461 | 02/17/2023 | Relating to the workers’ compensation group self-insurance guaranty fund |
| 88(R) | Hugh Shine | HB 2389 | 02/16/2023 | Relating to employee-owned companies |
| 88(R) | Hugh Shine | HB 2420 | 02/16/2023 | Relating to the eligibility of a person employed by a school district as a teacher to serve on the appraisal review board of an appraisal district |
| 88(R) | Hugh Shine | HB 1608 | 01/25/2023 | Relating to the electronic payment of ad valorem taxes; authorizing a fee |
| 88(R) | Hugh Shine | HB 1609 | 01/25/2023 | Relating to the electronic delivery of certain communications required or permitted under the Property Tax Code |
| 88(R) | Hugh Shine | HB 1613 | 01/25/2023 | Relating to the applicability of the law governing the provision of state aid to certain local governments disproportionately affected by the granting of ad valorem tax relief to disabled veterans |
