Capitol Watch Alert Archive
House Pub Ed Committee Stays Late to Hear 9 Bills
The House Public Education Committee hearing began at 8 a.m. on March 18 and continued well past midnight on March 19 as members heard public testimony on 9 bills. Many superintendents were at the hearing to support Rep. Leach’s HB 6 related to school discipline,...
March 18: Senate Education K-16 Committee to Hear Public Testimony on 9 Bills
The Senate Education K-16 Committee announced a hearing for 11 a.m., Tuesday, March 18, to hear invited and public testimony on the following bills: SB 207 Paxton - Relating to excused absences from public school for certain students to attend mental health care...
March 18: House Public Education Committee to Hear Public Testimony on 9 Bills
The House Education Committee announced a hearing for 8 a.m., Tuesday, March 18, to hear testimony on the following bills: HB 6 Leach - Relating to discipline in public schools. This bill aims to reform and clarify the disciplinary practices in Texas public schools,...
House Pub Ed Hears Nearly 24 Hours of Testimony on HB 3 (ESAs); TASA President Testifies Against Bill
The House Public Education Committee met March 11-12, 2025, to hear public testimony on HB 3, which creates a $1 billion Education Savings Account (ESA) program to be administered and regulated by the Texas Comptroller’s Office beginning with the 2026-27 school year....
March 10: Senate State Affairs to Hear Electioneering Bill
The Senate State Affairs Committee has scheduled a hearing for 9 a.m., Monday, March 10, to hear a number of bills, including SB 875 (Birdwell), which would create a Class A misdemeanor for superintendents and trustees who engage in electioneering to include use of...
Senate Education Committee Calls March 11 Hearing
The Senate Committee on Education K-16 announced a hearing for 8 a.m., Tuesday, March 11, to hear testimony on the following bills: SB 568 (Bettencourt, et al.) relates to special education in public schools, including funding for special education under the...
House Public Education Committee Hears Invited Testimony on HB 2 on School Funding
The House Public Education Committee held a hearing on Tuesday, March 4, to hear invited testimony on HB 2, the House school finance bill filed by the committee's chair, Brad Buckley. Last week, we shared highlights of HB 2, which increases the Basic Allotment (BA) by...
March 5: House Subcommittee to Hear CTE Bills
The House Subcommittee on Academic & Career-Oriented Education has scheduled a hearing for 2 p.m. (or upon final adjournment of the House) on Wednesday, March 5, to hear two bills. HB 20 (Gates) would require the commissioner of education to establish and...
March 4: Senate Education Committee to Hear Bills on Religion, Funding Virtual Schools During Crisis
The Senate Committee on Education K-16 has scheduled a hearing for 11 a.m. (or upon adjournment of the Senate) on Tuesday, March 4, to hear testimony on the following bills. SB 10 (King, et al.) would require public schools to display the Ten Commandments in each...
Thursday: “Taxpayer-Funded Lobbying” Bill to be Heard in Senate State Affairs Committee
The Senate Committee on State Affairs will hear invited and public testimony on Thursday, February 27, 2025, beginning at 9 a.m. in the Senate chamber. A bill of importance to TASA membership on the committee’s agenda is SB 19 filed by Sen. Mayes Middleton. The bill...
Buckley Files House School Funding Bill
HB 2 is an omnibus bill relating to public education and public school finance. The 148-page bill makes numerous changes to school finance provisions, including increasing the Basic Allotment. The bill provides more than $8 billion in funding for public education....
Buckley Files Priority Accountability Bill
House Public Education Committee Chair Brad Buckley filed HB 4 as part of his priority legislation. The bill makes changes to the public school assessment and accountability systems, including actions and proceedings challenging those state systems. Some highlights of...
Buckley Files House ESA bill
HB 3, as filed by House Public Education Committee Chair Brad Buckley, creates a $1 billion Education Savings Account (ESA) program to be administered and regulated by the Texas Comptroller's Office beginning with the 2026-27 school year. Lottery System On receipt of...
February 27: Senate Ed Committee to Hear Parental Rights Bills + More
The Senate Committee on Education K-16 has scheduled a hearing for 10 a.m., Thursday, February 27, to hear testimony on the following Senate bills, most of which relate to parental rights: SB 12 (Creighton) relates to parental rights in public education and to certain...
Senate Education Committee Passes Sub for SB 26 on Teacher Pay Out of Committee
On February 20, 2025, the Senate Committee on Education K-16 heard testimony on a committee substitute for SB 26 on teacher compensation (see a summary of SB 26 as filed) by Sen. Brandon Creighton, chair of the committee. After laying out SB 26, Creighton introduced...
Creighton Files Teacher Pay Bill and Sets Hearing for Feb 20
On Tuesday, February 18, 2025, Sen. Brandon Creighton, chair of the Senate Committee on Education K-16, filed SB 26, which provides a teacher pay increase and will be heard in the Senate Committee on Education K-16 on Thursday, February 20, beginning at 11 a.m. or...
TASA/TASB Legislative Conference Attendees Hear from Lt. Gov., House Pub Ed Chair, More
(Mouse over the above slideshow and then click on the arrows to flip through photos from the event.) Several hundred school board members and school administrators participated in the TASA/TASB Legislative Conference February 18, 2025, at the Downright Austin Hotel....
House Committee Assignments Released
Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives Dustin Burrows (R-Lubbock) released House committee assignments February 13, 2025. Rep. Brad Buckley (R-Salado) retains his position as chair of the House Public Education Committee, with Rep. Diego Bernal (D-San Antonio)...
Senate Finance Committee Holds First Hearing on School Finance
The Senate Finance Committee, chaired by Sen. Joan Huffman, convened on Monday, February 10, to discuss Article III of the state budget, which includes public education funding. TASA’s deputy director of governmental relations, Amy Beneski, submitted written testimony...
SB 2 on Senate Intent Calendar for February 5
Senate Committee on Education Committee K-16 Chair Brandon Creighton’s ESA legislation, SB 2, is the only bill placed on the Intent Calendar that begins at 12 p.m., Wednesday, February 5, 2025, when the Senate gavels in. As Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick’s top policy priority,...