After releasing round one of Senate interim charges on January 30 and announcing new chairs of standing and interim select committees on March 23, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick has released his second round of interim charges for the Texas Senate to study in preparation for the 90th Texas Legislature.
In his press release, Patrick states:
“The Senate and I will work energetically to advance the priorities of Texas’ conservative majority, including providing meaningful property tax relief via ‘Operation Double Nickel,’ reducing the age to freeze homestead property taxes from age 65 to 55, increasing the homestead exemption to $180,000 for under 55 homeowners and $240,000 for senior homeowners, and reining in local government budget growth, eliminating fraud and abuse in state government, strengthening the Texas power grid, and promoting a sweeping Texas-first agenda. When the 90th Regular Legislative Session begins in January 2027, the Texas Senate will move quickly to address these priorities, and many more.”
Round two charges of interest to the K-12 education community are scattered throughout the Senate committees and include:
Criminal Justice (p. 3)
- Addressing Juvenile Violence: Study the growing violence among juveniles both in communities and state and county secure facilities. Examine the effectiveness of juvenile diversion programs, sentencing laws, and whether determinate sentences for all “3G” violent juvenile offenders would better ensure public safety.
Economic Development (p. 5)
- Preparing the Texas Workforce for AI (Artificial Intelligence): Study the impact of AI on the Texas workforce and its implications for economic competitiveness. Evaluate strategies to enhance workforce resiliency, align educational pathways with evolving employer needs, and promote private-sector-led innovation.
Education Committee (p. 6)
- Improving School Transformation Talent: Evaluate the existing access to and efficacy of experts in improving school academic performance. Develop suggestions to strengthen and expand the current leadership pipeline, including public school training, policies, and practices that accelerate academic progress.
- Shifting Enrollment, Right-Sizing: Despite the state’s rapid overall population growth, school age enrollment is declining – from 5.54 million to 5.47 million students in the last two years. Examine the impact of student enrollment patterns in Texas public schools. Identify strategies to maximize the efficient use of tax dollars by school districts while maintaining access to high-quality learning programs and student outcomes.
- Maximizing Instructional Time: Review the 200+ districts who utilize a 4-day school week or other hybrid models and the related learning loss in reading and math. Study the effect of academic schedules, in particular the decline of school days, and its impact on students and families. Create guidelines to support public schools and maximize student achievement.
- Reviewing Historic Pay Increases for Teachers: Review teacher pay increases passed by the Legislature over the last decade, including the historic pay increase in House Bill 2, 89th Legislature. Monitor the implementation of pay increases for teachers and the impacts on teacher incomes, including closing the rural pay gap.
- Celebrating the Successful Rollout of School Choice: Monitor the nation’s largest school choice launch in history and the ongoing implementation of Senate Bill 2, 89th Legislature, including: record-breaking demand with over 250,000 applications and enrollment by families giving greater flexibility to choose the best education for their child. Provide recommendations on how the Legislature can enhance and expand upon Texas’ historic and successful school choice program for families.
- Monitor:
- Senate Bill 12 relating to parental rights in public education, to certain public school requirements and prohibitions regarding instruction, diversity, equity, and inclusion duties, and social transitioning, and to student clubs at public schools;
- Senate Bill 13, relating to a school district’s library materials and catalog, the establishment of local school library advisory councils, and parental rights regarding public school library catalogs and access by the parent’s child to library materials;
- Senate Bill 571, relating to the reporting and investigation of certain misconduct and child abuse and neglect; creating a criminal offense;
- House Bill 2, relating to public education and public school finance; and
- House Bill 6, relating to discipline management and access to telehealth mental health services in public.
Health and Human Services (p. 8)
- Monitor:
- Senate Bill 25, relating to health and nutrition standards to promote healthy living, including requirements for food labeling, primary and secondary education, higher education, and continuing education for certain health care professionals; authorizing a civil penalty; and
- Senate Bill 1 (89th Legislature, Second Called Session), relating to campground and youth camp safety.
Local Government (p. 12)
- Cutting Property Taxes: Examine Texas property taxes, focusing on homeowners’ school property taxes. Make recommendations to cut Texans’ property taxes by increasing the homestead exemption for all homesteads. Determine the savings for homestead owners attributable to lowering the age of eligibility for the senior homestead exemption and senior tax ceiling from 65 to 55. Additionally, evaluate options to further reduce property taxes for new homeowners.
- Examining the Effect of Increasing the Homestead Exemption: Review and report on the effects of Senate Bill 4 and Senate Bill 23, 89th Legislature, Senate Bill 2, 88th Legislature, 2nd Called Session, Senate Bill 1, 87th Legislature, 3rd Called Session, Senate Bill 2, 86th Legislature, and Senate Bill 1, 84th Legislature, which in combination have increased the homeowners’ school tax exemption from $15,000 to $140,000 for those under the age of 65, and from $25,000 to $200,000 for those 65 and older. Identify the percentage of Texas homeowners that no longer pay school property taxes due to these efforts.
- Ensuring Transparency in Appraisal District Funding: Study the governance, budgeting authority, and cost allocation practices of county appraisal districts. Examine the fiscal impact of appraisal district costs on taxing entities. Evaluate whether additional guardrails are warranted.
Religious Liberty, Select (p. 14)
- Monitor:
- Senate Bill 10, relating to the display of the Ten Commandments in public school classrooms; and
- Senate Bill 11, relating to a period of prayer and reading of the Bible or other religious text in public schools.
