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 public school requirements and prohibitions regarding instruction and diversity, equity, and inclusion duties and the loss of funding for public schools that fail to comply with those provisions.
SB 1565 (Creighton) relates to a school district’s grievance procedure and to certain public school requirements and prohibitions regarding instructions and diversity, equity, and inclusion duties and the loss of funding for public schools that fail to comply with those provisions.
SB 13 (Paxton | et al.) would require school districts to provide parents with access to library material records related to their children, establish protocols for parental access to library catalogs and the ability to limit the materials their children can borrow, and mandate local school library advisory councils that would guide library material acquisition and retention. The bill details a process for challenging library materials.
SJR 12 (Paxton | et al.) is a joint resolution that proposes a constitutional amendment to establish a parent’s right to direct their child’s education. It would amend Article I of the Texas Constitution by adding Section 37, which defines “parent” as a natural parent, stepparent, adoptive parent, legal guardian, or other legal custodian of a child. Key provisions of the proposed amendment include a parent’s right to direct the education of their child, which encompasses: making reasonable choices within the public school system; choosing alternatives to public education, such as private or home schooling; accessing and viewing public school teaching materials, textbooks, and library books; attending meetings of the governing body of a public school; and accessing public school student records, including health records.
SB 686 (Paxton) was filed to streamline and clarify the process of student transfers between public schools in Texas. A significant change is the liability imposed on individuals who falsify enrollment information, which would be based on the budgeted M&O expenses per student, rather than a maximum tuition fee previously outlined in Section 25.038, which has been repealed. Another critical aspect of the bill would be the new ability for students under 21 to apply for transfer to any appropriate public school within the state, rather than solely to adjoining districts. To manage over-subscriptions effectively, districts would implement a lottery system to fill available positions based on priorities including residency and specific student statuses, while maintaining a waitlist for additional applicants. New sections, 25.046 and 25.047, would establish guidelines for determining campus capacity and outline the corresponding reporting obligations.
SB 371 (Campbell | et al.) would require school districts to secure written consent from a student’s parent prior to delivering any human sexuality instruction. The bill stipulates that the request for consent must be distinctly separate from any other communication or request sent to parents. Schools would have to provide this consent request to parents at least 14 days prior to the start of the instruction.
SB 204 (Paxton) would task the State Board of Education with requiring school district boards of trustees to receive training on the rights of parents concerning the education of their children and would mandate the creation of a Parental Rights Handbook that would detail all parental rights pertaining to education, including the rights that can be enforced on behalf of students.
SB 609 (Paxton) would require school districts and charters to adopt and implement policies as mandated by law. it adds provisions stating that any legal requirement to adopt a policy imposes a binding duty to implement and act in accordance with those policy requirements.
SB 112 (Hall) would amend law to grant parents extensive access to their child’s educational records, including attendance records, test scores, disciplinary records, and psychological evaluations, among others. It would also expand the list to include reports addressing behavioral patterns and assistance related to learning difficulties, and it would modify the consent process required for school personnel. Parental consent would not be required when the examination or test is legally mandated under laws governing special education.
SB 400 (Kolkhorst) would require school district employees to secure written consent from a child’s parent prior to conducting psychological or psychiatric examinations, testing, or treatment. New definitions highlight that psychological or psychiatric examination refers to methods aimed at understanding attitudes, traits, or potential mental health disorders. Similarly, psychological or psychiatric treatment is defined as a systematic approach aimed at modifying behavior and emotional states.
SB 813 (Hughes) would require each regional ESC’s executive director to set up a grievance board with exclusive jurisdiction over issues arising within their geographic boundaries. These boards would have the authority to hear appeals related to actions of school district boards, state educational laws, or employment contract violations that may cause financial harm. Decisions from grievance boards could be appealed to the district court, which maintains oversight of the boards’ rulings.
Public testimony will be limited to two minutes.
