The Senate Committee on Education met to hear testimony on five education bills affecting accreditation, medical workforce training, dual-credit eligibility, campus development rules in Austin and a technical change to testing language; public testimony was closed on each measure and the committee left all five bills pending without a committee vote.

The meeting, chaired by Senator Creighton, included presentations from bill authors and outside witnesses who described the bills' goals and answered committee questions. Senators asked about fiscal effects, overlaps with existing agencies and practical implementation steps; in every case the chair closed public testimony and left the measure pending for further consideration.

Senate Bill 13-22 — accreditation commission: Senator Hagenbu presented legislation to create the Texas Higher Education Accreditation Commission (THAC), a proposed nine-member body appointed by the governor, lieutenant governor and speaker of the Texas House to evaluate and approve accrediting agencies for Texas public colleges and universities. Kate Byerly of the Texas Public Policy Foundation testified in favor, saying, "The bill amends the Texas Education Code by establishing the Texas Higher Education Accrediting Commission," and describing a rating system (exemplary, satisfactory, unsatisfactory) tied to publicly reported metrics such as retention, graduation, employment within one year, median student debt and repayment rates. Committee member Senator Menendez asked about the fiscal note; the transcript records a fiscal estimate of $3,600,000 (three million six hundred thousand dollars). Committee discussion noted concerns that the proposal would create a new state-level review body and overlap with existing institutions such as the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board and governing boards of university systems. Public testimony was closed and the bill was left pending.

Senate Bill 19-98 — pediatric subspecialty preceptorship: Vice Chair Campbell laid out a bill to establish a statewide pediatric subspecialty preceptorship program to expose medical students to pediatric subspecialties and encourage more trainees to pursue those fields, particularly for rural and underserved areas. Dr. Lauren Gamble, a pediatric hospitalist, testified "in strong support of Senate Bill 19-98," describing how early hands-on exposure and mentorship can influence career choices and noting barriers families face in accessing subspecialty care. Testimony emphasized workforce shortages in pediatric subspecialties; public testimony was closed and the bill was left pending.

Senate Bill 27-88 — PSAT for dual-credit eligibility: Senator Menendez explained a measure to allow PSAT scores to satisfy college-readiness requirements for dual-credit enrollment under the Texas Success Initiative, arguing the PSAT is commonly taken earlier than the SAT/ACT and is already used by many districts. Priscilla Camacho of the Alamo Colleges District said roughly 16,700 dual-credit students are served by her district and that about 5,521 of them entered using the PSAT as a readiness indicator, with campus data showing 98 percent overall completion at grade C or above for those students. Public testimony closed and the bill was left pending.

Senate Bill 20-76 — Capitol View Corridors and UT Austin medical center site: Senator Creighton described proposed changes to Capitol View Corridor restrictions near the site of the former Frank Erwin Center to allow expanded development for a UT Austin academic medical center, including a specialty hospital and an MD Anderson facility. The senator said several corridors reference landmarks that no longer exist or will be altered by nearby Interstate 35 expansion and that the changes would remove constraints on building height at the site. No public testimony was presented and the bill was left pending.

Senate Bill 14-18 — testing-language cleanup: Vice Chair Campbell described a cleanup bill replacing the outdated term "ACT Plan" with "PreACT" in the Education Code and removing references to SAT Subject Tests that the College Board discontinued in 2021. The committee adopted substitute language to remove obsolete references; public testimony was closed and the bill was left pending subject to the chair's call.

What the committee did and did not do: For each bill the committee took testimony from authors and resource or public witnesses, asked clarifying questions (notably about the accreditation bill's fiscal note and potential overlap with existing state education authorities), then closed public testimony and left the measures pending. No formal votes or committee-level approvals were recorded during the hearing.

The committee recessed to the floor at about 09:45 and planned to resume consideration of additional bills after floor action.