Source reporting: Dallas Express
Texas State University is facing questions about its planned H-1B renewal for an employee in a public relations position, according to the Dallas Express.
U.S. Rep. Chip Roy sent an August 20 letter to university President Kelly Damphousse requesting records on the school's H-1B workforce, wages, recruiting practices and movement of international students into university employment. The letter asks for a response by September 3.
Texas State says the case involves an extension and amendment for an existing employee, not a new hire. The employee graduated from the university, has worked there full time since August 2023 and received an original H-1B petition that year. The school plans to seek renewal before the employee's current status expires in January 2027.
The distinction matters under state policy. Gov. Greg Abbott directed Texas public universities in January to obtain written Texas Workforce Commission permission before filing new H-1B petitions through May 31, 2027. The university says commission guidance does not classify renewals as new petitions. Based on the available records, the Dallas Express did not establish that Texas State violated the governor's directive.
Questions remain about the university's own hiring standards. Texas State's guidelines describe staff sponsorship as more restrictive than faculty sponsorship and generally limited to full-time, benefits-eligible jobs that are difficult to fill because of specialized requirements. Hiring departments are expected to document the position's importance and challenges recruiting qualified U.S. workers.
Texas State offers undergraduate and graduate programs that prepare students for public relations and strategic communication work. That fact does not establish that a qualified American applicant sought or was denied this specific job. It does, however, make the university's recruitment documentation and difficult-to-fill determination relevant to the public review.
Federal H-1B rules generally do not require every sponsoring employer to prove that no American worker is available. Additional recruitment obligations can apply to H-1B-dependent employers and certain violators. All participating employers must meet applicable wage requirements, and higher-education petitions are generally exempt from the annual numerical cap.
Roy also requested occupation, work-location, education, salary and prevailing-wage information for current H-1B employees, along with annual totals dating to fiscal year 2020.
The public-integrity issue is transparency rather than a proven violation. Texas taxpayers have an interest in knowing how a public university applies its own sponsorship criteria, complies with state directives and documents hiring decisions for publicly funded positions.