The Senate Committee on Education K-16 will meet at 9 a.m., Tuesday, April 8, to hear invited and public testimony on the following bills:
SB 571 Bettencourt et al. – This bill modifies the eligibility criteria for contract employees servicing Texas public education entities. It establishes that the provisions now apply to individuals not holding relevant teaching certificates who are engaged by contractors or subcontractors of schools, explicitly stating that such individuals must be physically present at instructional facilities to provide services. The language detailing prior conditions related to direct contact with students has been removed. An amendment is introduced whereby restrictions would be placed on individuals with felony or specific misdemeanor convictions and those identified for misconduct, prohibiting them from service within schools. The bill expands the access rights to the registry of ineligible individuals. Private schools, public schools, nonprofit organizations involved in tutoring programs, and entities that contract with schools would all have access to this registry. It specifies that the updated regulations apply only to contracts established after the bill’s effective date.
SB 604 West – This bill establishes new requirements for the Texas Permanent School Fund Corporation regarding the transparency of bonds guaranteed by the fund. It stipulates that the Corporation must post a quarterly list on its website of all bonds that have been downgraded to a speculative bond rating. The list must specify the name of the issuing school or charter district and the outstanding balance of each downgraded bond. The Corporation is given a deadline of December 1, 2025, to provide its initial list.
SB 747 King, Phil – This bill amends state law to delineate the behaviors that warrant disciplinary actions related to “intimate materials.” Students can face serious consequences, including removal from class and expulsion, for actions related to the release of intimate visual content without consent, as well as content generated by AI. The definition of cyberbullying is broadened to include the production and distribution of intimate images. It would require school districts to establish proactive measures, including the formation of committees dedicated to bullying prevention and wellness initiatives, and implement educational practices to foster healthy peer relationships. The bill also mandates that programs developed in compliance with these policies address not only the legal ramifications of sharing intimate images but also the unique risks associated with the internet and technologies such as AI.
SB 843 Kolkhorst et al. – This bill would create a TEA-managed database of school district bonds, taxes, and bond-related projects. Defined terms include “bond,” “database,” and “maintenance tax.” The bill tasks TEA with developing and maintaining the database, which would include extensive details on each bond issued or proposed by school districts, such as the ballot proposition language, projected interest and sinking fund tax rates, election results, funding projects lists, and an accounting of how bond proceeds are spent. It would also cover maintenance taxes, including proposed or approved tax rates and the associated ballot proposition language. The database must track election results related to tax proposals and provide functionalities for generating detailed reports by geographic area. School districts must supply all requested information for effective database maintenance. The bill allows the TEA to contract third parties for development or maintenance and empowers the commissioner to set rules for implementation.
SB 1224 Sparks et al. – This bill requires superintendents and directors of various educational entities to notify the police department or county sheriff within 48 hours of learning about allegations of serious misconduct involving educators. The bill imposes strict penalties for educators who fail to comply with these notification requirements, including fines ranging from $500 to $10,000, and the State Board for Educator Certification would be empowered to revoke or delay the renewal of an educator’s certification until all penalties are settled. The bill establishes that intentional noncompliance with the notification requirements constitutes a criminal offense, classified as a state jail felony. The bill also mandates that the commissioner refer cases of non-reporting to the State Board for professional discipline.
SB 1636 Hinojosa – This legislation prohibits school districts from utilizing revenue derived from their interest and sinking tax for the purpose of addressing deferred maintenance.
SB 1832 Parker – This bill allows parents of eligible students subjected to criminal acts or serious misconduct by school employees to either transfer their child to another campus within the same district or to a neighboring district, or to receive funding to enable their child to attend a private institution, including homeschooling. Detailed eligibility criteria define who qualifies for these options, citing instances of employee convictions, reported misconduct, or child grooming. The provisions also outline the transfer process, emphasizing parental consent regarding the chosen new educational setting, and clarify that the district is not required to provide transportation for students opting to transfer. The funding for private school attendance is capped at an amount equivalent to what the students home district would receive. Private schools chosen must comply only with existing regulations as of early 2025.
SB 2185 Hinojosa – This bill relates to the bilingual education allotment. It mandates school districts benefiting from exceptions to submit additional data on their alternative language education methods to TEA. It establishes a structured system for financial support, wherein the agency would review and approve districts for funding, capping the total allotment at $10 million per biennium. The bill specifies equitable distribution across various districts within Texas. The financial incentive structure is revised to calculate funding per student depending on whether they are emergent bilingual or categorized differently within approved educational methods.
SB 2392 King, Phil – The bill establishes updated protocols for notification to local law enforcement concerning specific types of conduct that may occur on school properties or during school-related activities. The principal of a public or private primary or secondary school, or a designated person, must inform the appropriate law enforcement agencies if there are reasonable grounds to suspect any activities listed, including deadly conduct, terroristic threats, and illegal substance possession.
The bill broadens the range of offenses that necessitate reporting to include nine distinct categories of potential crimes, with the addition of specific Penal Code sections that cover a wide range of criminal activities. The bill requires that principals notify law enforcement within 72 hours of being aware of serious alleged misconduct as delineated in the newly added offenses.
SB 2395 Creighton et al. – This bill modifies the regulations concerning the use of unspent proceeds from general obligation bonds issued by Texas school districts. It states that such funds can be used solely for the purposes for which the bonds were authorized or to pay off the bonds themselves. This change removes a previous allowance to redirect unspent proceeds for other uses if certain conditions were met, such as achieving or abandoning the specific purposes. The repeal of Sections 45.1105(b) and (c) signifies a complete removal of any remaining directives regarding alternative applications of bond proceeds. This legislation would impact only general obligation bonds that are authorized at elections occurring on or after September 1, 2025.
SB 2623 Creighton – This bill establishes a school safety zones task force composed of representatives from various state departments, appointed by the governor. The task force’s responsibilities include identifying any facilities providing homeless services within 1.5 miles of school safety zones and notifying local municipalities or counties. Homeless services are prohibited within this 1.5-mile radius, except in specific circumstances where an emergency shelter is operational during a declared state of disaster. For enforcement, the bill specifies civil penalties for organizations that violate these provisions, with the potential for penalties of up to $50,000 per day for continued violations. Municipalities or counties that fail to comply face tax rate penalties. Amendments to the Tax Code ensure that compliance with these new regulations affects the distribution of state funds.
SB 2624 Creighton – This bill institutes geographical restrictions on where services for individuals experiencing homelessness can be offered. Specific definitions are provided, including those for navigation services, which encompass assistance in accessing shelter, meals, medical care, and employment resources. The term service provider is defined to include faith-based organizations, nonprofit organizations, and government-funded facilities that deliver these navigation services. The bill stipulates that all municipalities and counties must prohibit service providers from operating within 1.5 miles of an institution of higher education, playground, or school.
