The Senate Committee on Education K-16 will meet at 9 a.m., Wednesday, April 16, 2025, to hear invited and public testimony on a round of bills mostly focused on higher education. However, the agenda includes the following two bills related to K-12:
SB 735 Menendez – This bill would amend state law related to Holocaust education. It would mandate regular collaboration between regional ESCs and Holocaust museums to improve educator training and student education on Holocaust topics. The bill specifies that school districts and open-enrollment charter schools must report their Holocaust Remembrance Week activities. It also creates a grant program administered by the Texas Historical Commission and the Texas Holocaust, Genocide, and Antisemitism Advisory Commission that would provide resources and support for Holocaust instruction, including the development of lesson plans, field trips, and training initiatives. The bill also establishes a pilot program aimed at enhancing the quality of educator preparation in teaching Holocaust history, with annual reporting requirements for participating institutions. The effectiveness and outcomes of the pilot would be assessed in biennial reports.
SB 2986 Campbell – The bill permits public schools and institutions of higher education to allow religious organizations to host activities such as worship, services, sermons, or assemblies, but states that participation in hosting religious services is at the discretion of the educational entities, allowing them to decline usage if they so choose. The bill requires religious organizations to compensate the school or institution with fair-market fees for any incurred costs unless such fees are waived. The religious organizations would also assume liability for damages occurring during their utilization of the facilities. The bill explicitly prohibits any governmental body from enacting penalties or funding denials based on a school or institutions decision to grant such permissions.
