Note: Two additional bills were added to the agenda late Monday night, and one additional bill was added on the day of the hearing. See below.
The Senate Education Education K-16 Committee will meet at 11 a.m., or upon adjournment of the Senate on Tuesday, April 29, 2025, to hear invited and public testimony on the following bills:
The following bill was added to the hearing notice Monday night:
SB 111 Hall – The bill prohibits school districts from exceeding $10,000 in legal fees defending due process complaints that allege violations of special education laws. Requires superintendents to report to the board of trustees when legal expenses reach 80 percent of the set limit. The report must include a summary of the case, legal claims, defenses, and an estimate of further legal costs. The reports would be confidential. Requires school districts to provide monthly updates on ongoing legal cases that exceed the cap. Requires TEA to post disaggregated information on the statewide average and the average for each regional education service center of legal fees spent by school districts.
SB 205 Paxton et al. – The bill mandates the inclusion of fetal development instruction in the health curriculum for grades seven and eight, with optional inclusion for other grades. It specifies the content of this instruction, including the human reproductive process, pregnancy, infertility, and the effects of substances and environmental hazards on fetal development. Additionally, it outlines the responsibilities of local school health advisory councils in recommending appropriate curricula and strategies for implementation.
SB 582 West – The bill amends the Education Code to regulate the disclosure of preliminary findings from special investigations conducted by TEA. It introduces conditions under which these findings become public information, mandates redaction of witness identities, and allows school districts to release findings with board approval.
SB 625 Flores et al. – The bill mandates the inclusion of a personal financial literacy and economics course in the high school curriculum, replacing the existing economics requirement.
SB 1884 Sparks – The bill would allow the chair of the SBOE to employ personnel necessary for board operations, with these employees receiving state employment benefits and being directly accountable to the chair. It would mandate TEA to provide administrative support services to the board.
SB 1903 Campbell – The bill proposes amendments to the composition and appointment process of the Texas Permanent School Fund Corporation’s board of directors, increasing its members from nine to 11 and introducing new appointment roles for the lieutenant governor and the speaker of the House.
The following bill was added to the hearing notice Tuesday:
SB 1908 Zaffirini – This bill relates to a study by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board on the feasibility of implementing a statewide system for coordinating clinical training placements.
SB 2600 Middleton – The bill would regulate fees charged by school districts for student transportation and other services. It specifies conditions under which fees can be levied, particularly focusing on transportation for students living within two miles of their school.
SB 2617 Creighton – The bill mandates school districts and open-enrollment charter schools to use the terms ‘Anno Domini (AD)’ and ‘Before Christ (BC)’ in date expressions within educational settings, prohibiting the adoption of curriculum materials that deviate from this standard.
SB 2751 Paxton – The bill mandates inspections of residential and day placement facilities for special education students to ensure educational services align with medical standards and best practices, and that staff are trained in crisis prevention and intervention.
The following bill was added to the hearing notice Monday night:
SB 3061 Creighton – The bill prohibits children from being able to participate in the state’s education savings account program (ESA) during the time a child’s parent or legal guardian is a state representative, state senator, or statewide elected official. Applies beginning with the 2026-27 school year.
