Senate Bill 2847 was introduced to the Senate Committee on Education K‑16 by Senator Hagenboo as a proposal to amend the Texas Education Code to let public four‑year universities seek approval from the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board to adopt core curricula shorter than the existing 42‑semester‑credit requirement.

“SB 2,847 simply seeks to afford our Texas public 4 year universities the same opportunity to seek a similar approval from the Coordinating Board,” Senator Hagenboo said, describing the measure as mirroring an option already available to community colleges after last session’s reforms.

The bill’s sponsor told the committee that the change is intended to make degree programs, particularly career‑focused and technical tracks, more responsive to workforce needs and to reduce barriers to completion. He argued the Coordinating Board should have “rulemaking authority to determine how best to implement this provision.”

Committee members did not receive any public witnesses on SB 2847; the clerk reported no registrations. After discussion, the committee closed public testimony and left the measure pending for future consideration.

The bill would permit public universities to apply for an alternative core under Board rules; it does not itself change Board procedure, appropriate funding, or require institutions to adopt shorter cores. The committee did not take a vote on final passage during the hearing, and no amendments or formal motions to advance the bill were recorded.