Texas Senate bill by Sen. Middleton amends criteria for automatic undergraduate admission

Passed bill authored by State Sen. Mayes Middleton seeks to update admission criteria for Texas public institutions, aiming to set specific academic requirements for automatic undergraduate admission starting in fall 2026, according to the Texas Legislature website.

In the Senate, four Democrats and 20 Republicans voted in favor of the bill, while seven Democrats opposed it.

Meanwhile, in the House, 12 Democrats and 65 Republicans voted in favor, while 35 Democrats and nine Republicans voted against it.

Mayes Middleton introduced the bill in the Texas Senate on Wednesday, Feb. 12, during the 89th regular legislative session.

Middleton graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a BA and again from University of Texas Law School with a JD.

Middleton, a Republican, was elected to the Texas State Senate in 2023 to represent the state’s 11th Senate district, replacing previous state senator Larry Taylor.

According to the Texas Legislature, the bill’s official text was summarized as follows: ‘Relating to the consideration of college entrance examinations for admission to certain public institutions of higher education and a study by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board regarding those examinations’.

The following is our breakdown, based on the actual bill text, and may include interpretation to clarify its provisions.

In essence, the bill amends the criteria for automatic undergraduate admission to Texas public institutions, requiring applicants to be in the top 10% of their high school class and to meet specific academic achievements. It specifies that these students must graduate from accredited high schools in Texas or U.S. Department of Defense schools, complete a distinguished level of achievement or equivalent curriculum, or achieve a score on a college entrance exam set by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. For students not qualifying under this admission, similar curriculum and exam criteria apply. These changes apply to admissions starting in fall 2026. The act takes effect immediately with two-thirds legislative approval or on Sept. 1, 2025.

The bill was co-authored by Sen. Brent Hagenbuch (Republican – District 30) and Sen. Adam Hinojosa (Republican – District 27).

The bill received its final legislative approval on Thursday, May 22, and was signed into law by Gov. Greg Abbott on Friday, June 20.

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.