The House Public Education Committee has scheduled a hearing for 8 a.m., Tuesday, April 15, 2025, to hear public testimony on the following bills:
HB 1178 Cunningham – This bill proposes the establishment of a temporary educator certification system in Texas for educators who hold certifications from other states. SBEC would be required to issue temporary certificates promptly to qualifying applicants. To be eligible, applicants must possess a valid non-temporary teaching credential from another state and hold a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution. The bill outlines specific expiration rules for these certificates: They would generally last until the first anniversary of issuance or until the holder receives a standard Texas educator certificate. For spouses of active duty military service members, a temporary certificate would remain valid for three years. The bill would repeal existing sections of the Education Code that might hinder the issuance or regulation of these temporary certifications. SBEC would be responsible for creating implementing rules following the bill’s enactment.
HB 1411 Allen – This bill establishes new provisions regarding the use of personal leave for school district employees during school holidays. It would grant employees with available personal leave the right to utilize up to two personal leave days annually for compensation during designated school holidays. The eligibility for this leave would be limited to specific classifications of employees: those who are not exempt from the overtime provisions of the federal Fair Labor Standards Act and whose pay is not annualized.
HB 1441 Plesa – This bill amends the Occupations Code regarding the training curriculum for school district peace officers and resource officers. The bill adds mental health crisis intervention as a key curriculum component. It would require the curriculum to cover the effects of mental health conditions, including the impacts of grief and trauma on students’ behavior. Officers would be trained in evidence-based, grief-informed, and trauma-informed strategies. The Texas Commission on Law Enforcement would be tasked with promptly amending the training curriculum to align with these new mandates after the bill’s effective date.
HB 1773 Bhojani – This bill would establish a provision for certain school districts to appoint a nonvoting student trustee to their boards of trustees. The legislation would be applicable only to districts that are exempt from the regulations outlined in the existing Section 11.0511. Under this new provision, boards of trustees would have the option to appoint a student trustee with a term and selection process determined by the board. Student trustees would have the same rights to engage in discussions and participate in open meetings, but they would be explicitly restricted from voting on matters, making motions, or seconding them. The student trustee would not count toward the calculation of quorum at board meetings, nor would they affect voting outcomes.
HB 1813 Bucy – This bill would amend the Education Code to mandate that TEA produces a clear, informative document that articulates both the IEP development process and the rights of parents, specifically detailing the right to legal representation and access to a list of qualified representatives. The bill would impose stricter qualifications on representatives for students in due process hearings and outline prohibitions against individuals engaging in language or practices deemed misleading. The bill requires that individuals serving as non-attorney representatives complete specialized courses on special education law. The bill establishes a framework for ongoing training and requires the agency to create a publicly accessible list of trained individuals and available courses.
HB 2107 Fairly – This bill modifies the Education Code regarding the training requirements for Texas public school educators. The legislation establishes that, unless a school district or open-enrollment charter school’s policy dictates otherwise, the frequency requirements set by statute will take precedence in the event of any conflict. However, the bill allows the governing bodies of these educational institutions to decide that certain educators, who would typically be required to undertake training on an annual basis, may instead complete this training every other year.
HB 2598 Button – This bill updates legislative language regarding school psychologists within Texas law. Changes include the redefinition of the licensed specialist in school psychology to simply school psychologist. The bill amends Section 38.303(a) to include a school psychologist among task force members. Additionally, in the Government Code (Section 548.0203(a)), the definition of health professional is updated to include a school psychologist. In the Occupations Code, Sections 501.002(2) and 501.051(a-1) clarify that a school psychologist holds a license to practice psychology under Section 501.260. This section further stipulates that the executive council will issue this license and that it must adhere to nationally recognized standards for school psychology practices.
HB 2911 Frank – This bill addresses participation in the uniform group coverage program for active school employees and provides additional state funding for those public schools opting out of this program. An amendment to the Insurance Code would allow participating entities that have opted out between September 1, 2021, and September 1, 2023, to rejoin the program before the mandated five-year waiting period. This change would be temporary and expire on September 1, 2030. The bill also adds a new section to the Education Code (Section 48.276) that outlines that school districts or open-enrollment charter schools not engaged in the group coverage program would receive additional state aid, which would be calculated based on the total appropriated amount for health care in the General Appropriations Act, divided by the total number of employees across the aid-eligible districts or schools, and further multiplied by the number of employees at each individual institution. The funds received must be exclusively used for paying contributions related to the employee group health coverage plans.
HB 2967 Dutton – This bill would expand the framework for vision screenings in Texas public and private schools. It would mandate the posting of an annual report by TEA that details instances of vision disorders among students. This report would provide disaggregated data by various demographic factors. The bill would also establish a vision care allotment to provide financial support for students identified as having vision disorders and who are educationally disadvantaged. Each qualifying school district would receive $75 for each eligible student in attendance, specifically allocated for covering vision care expenses, including potential reimbursements to parents for necessary care. These funds must not replace any other funding intended for the same purpose. The bill also modifies the current screening procedures under the Health and Safety Code, allowing for additional techniques such as assessments for depth perception and color blindness.
HB 3672 Ashby – This bill would establish an extracurricular community education grant program in Texas. It expands the core definition of community education to include participation from eligible organizations. The bill includes a detailed framework for the grant program, emphasizing the provision of extracurricular educational programs outside of standard school hours, which can cover various subjects including arts, technology, science, and health. The program’s objectives focus on enhancing academic performance, addressing truancy, improving mental health, and fostering skills that prepare students for adult responsibilities and opportunities. To secure funding, organizations must demonstrate their understanding of community needs through comprehensive applications, establishing measurable goals, and presenting clear relationships with local public schools. The agency responsible for administering the funds would be tasked with providing development support for grantees.
HB 3797 Ashby – This bill would amend the Education Code to stipulate that a student’s satisfactory performance on a variety of assessments including the PSAT, PreACT, SAT, and ACT can fulfill requirements for end-of-course assessments. The bill replaces the ACT-Plan with the PreACT. Section 39.0263(c) is also revised, confirming that the prohibition applicable to certain classroom assessments does not extend to college preparation assessments such as the PSAT, PreACT, SAT, and ACT. Additionally, Section 39.202 is amended to incorporate results from the PreACT in the criteria for academic distinction designations for districts and campuses.
HB 5263 Geren – This bill amends the Education Code related to parent access to state assessments. Under the current provisions, parents are entitled to a copy of each state assessment instrument administered to their child, as stipulated in Section 39.023. The bill adds a new Subsection (b) that requires TEA to ensure that these results are available to parents with just a single click from their official website. The bill also mandates that any student identifying information needed for access must meet strict agency security protocols. This information must be unique to the student and should be fully managed by the parent or guardian.
