Capitol Watch Alert Archive
Education Bills Passed by the 89th Texas Legislature
The following bills related to K-12 education have been passed by the 89th Texas Legislature and sent to and/or signed by the governor. For bills sent to the governor within 10 days of final adjournment, which is June 2, 2025, the governor has until 20 days after...
Sine Die Update
Today, June 2, 2025, is the final day of the 89th Texas legislative session. We have updated our list of bills passed by the Legislature that are on their way to the governor or awaiting signature. Review the list of education-related bills that passed. Funding Bill...
Update on Friday, May 30, 2025
Funding Bill Goes to Governor Yesterday the Texas House voted 122 to 13 to agree to the Senate's amendments to HB 2, the school funding bill, sending the bill to Gov. Greg Abbott. As previously reported, the Legislative Budget Board runs were released Wednesday: FY...
89th Legislative Session is Winding Down
With the 89th Texas legislative session officially ending Monday, June 2, and deadlines fast approaching, we are waiting for final approval of several key bills. HB 2 - School Finance - The Senate passed the school finance bill (HB 2) Sunday, May 25, with amendments,...
Senate Amends HB 2 on Floor and Passes to Third Reading
Late last night (Thursday, May 22), the Texas Senate voted to advance HB 2, the major public school funding bill, to third reading. The Senate must vote on it one more time before sending it to the House, where members may agree with the Senate's changes or call for a...
School Funding Compromise Reached
The Texas House and Senate have reportedly reached an agreement on HB 2, the major public school funding bill. It will provide for $8.5 billion in additional funding for Texas public schools, including teacher pay raises. A one-pager that circulated the Capitol on...
May 22: Senate Ed K-16 to Hear House Bills on Assessment/Accountability, Superintendent Severance, More
Several K-12 bills were added to the hearing agenda after the original hearing notice was released. See below. The Senate Committee on Education K-16 will begin meeting at 9:45 a.m. Thursday, May 22, to hear testimony on a mix of bills on K-12 and higher education...
Senate Education Committee Advances HB 2 Funding Bill
Late Monday afternoon, HB 2 as substituted was voted out of the Senate Committee on Education K-16. The bill is expected to be debated by the full Senate as early as Wednesday, May 21. As voted out of committee, CSHB 2 includes about $8 billion in funding for public...
May 20: Senate Ed K-16 to Hear House Bills
After issuing the hearing notice on Monday, May 19, the committee added two additional bills later that afternoon. See below. The Senate Committee on Education K-16 will begin meeting at 9 a.m. Tuesday, May 20, to hear testimony on the following bills, which have all...
May 20: House Public Education Committee to Hear More Senate Bills
Note: Two bills were added to the agenda on Monday, May 19. See below. The House Public Education Committee will begin meeting at 8 a.m. Tuesday, May 20, to hear testimony on more bills passed by the Senate: SB 204 Paxton - The bill mandates the creation of a parental...
May 19: House Pensions Committee to Hear Bond Bills
The House Pensions, Investments & Financial Services Committee will hold a hearing at 8 a.m., Monday, May 19, to hear testimony on three bills, including: SB 414 Middleton et al. - The bill mandates detailed voter information for debt obligation elections,...
School Funding Bill Text Bill Released
The Senate Committee on Education K-16 began met starting at 9 a.m. Thursday, May 15, on the committee substitute for HB 2 on school funding, and the full text of the bill was released earlier that morning, along with a summary of more of its provisions. CSHB 2...
School Funding Bill Details Released, Set for May 15 Hearing
A summary outlining the provisions of the committee substitute for HB 2 (Buckley/Creighton) began making the rounds at the Capitol just as the Senate Committee on Education K-16 posted a hearing for 9 a.m. on Thursday, May 15, to hear testimony on the bill. The...
Senate Ed Likely to Hear HB 2 Week of May 12
There are a little over 20 days left in the 89th legislative session, and deadlines for bills to pass are approaching quickly. We hope that the Senate Committee on Education K-16 will hear HB 2 this week. HB 2 by House Public Education Committee Chairman Brad Buckley...
Summary of SB 12 by Creighton
SB 12 by Senate Committee on Education K-16 Chairman Brandon Creighton has been passed by the Senate and will be heard in the House Public Education Committee on Tuesday, May 13. A major focus of this bill is on parental rights and educational policies in Texas public...
Tuesday: House Public Education Committee to Hear More Senate Bills
Two bills were added to the agenda on Monday, May 12. See below. The House Public Education Committee will begin meeting at 8 a.m. Tuesday, May 13, and will hear testimony on six bills passed by the Senate: SB 12 Creighton - The bill introduces measures to enhance...
May 12: Monday: House State Affairs Committee to Hear Bill Protecting School Employee Religious Speech/Prayer
The House State Affairs Committee will meet beginning at 8 a.m. Monday, May 12, to hear testimony on a number of bills, including: SB 965 Parker - The bill states that "the right of an employee of a school district or open-enrollment charter school to engage in...
May 12: House Pensions Committee to Hear Bill on Bond Propositions
The House Pensions, Investments & Financial Services Committee will hold a hearing at 8 a.m., Monday, May 12, to hear testimony on two bills, including: SB 1024 Bettencourt - The bill would regulate the issuance of anticipation notes and certificates of obligation...
May 8: Senate Ed K-16 to Hear House Bills
The Senate Committee on Education K-16 will begin meeting at 9 a.m. Thursday, May 8, and will hear testimony on the following K-12 bills, which have all been passed by the House: HB 6 Leach (Senate sponsor: Perry) - The bill introduces specific guidelines for...
May 7: Senate State Affairs Committee to Meet on Prayer Bill
The Senate State Affairs Committee will meet beginning at 8 a.m. Wednesday, May 7, to hear testimony on several bills, including: SB 11 Middleton - The bill proposes the introduction of a period for prayer and reading of religious texts in public schools, contingent...