That’s a wrap: Additional notable education-related bills passed by the 89th Legislature

In this epilogue to our regular session wrap-up, we take a look at other new legislation of significant interest to Texas public educators. The bills are organized by the sections contained within the ATPE Legislative Program, and in each bill’s listing you’ll find links to relevant program positions as applicable.

Educator compensation
Educator preparation, certification, and professional development
School accountability, governance and regulation
School funding
Workplace issues
Miscellaneous

Educator compensation

HB 3126 by Rep. Drew Darby (R–San Angelo) – Ability to rejoin TRS-ActiveCare

ATPE Legislative Program Position: Health Insurance

Status: Passed – Signed by the governor – Effective Sept. 1, 2025

HB 3126 allows small school districts that left the TRS-ActiveCare program in 2022 to rejoin it within five years if they meet certain conditions.

Educator preparation, certification, and professional development

HB 1178 by Rep. Charles Cunningham (R–Humble) – Temporary certification for educators certified in other states

ATPE Legislative Program Position: Certification

Status: Passed – Signed by the governor – Effective immediately

HB 1178 creates a temporary one-year educator certificate for educators who are certified in other states. Under the current out-of-state credentials review process, once an educator’s out-of-state credentials are successfully reviewed, they may be issued a one-year temporary certificate. This certificate allows them to become employed to teach for a year, and during that year they must take and pass Texas certification exams to receive a standard teaching certificate. If they do not pass the Texas certification exams during the one-year temporary certification window, they may not remain employed as a certified educator. ATPE supported this bill because strengthening the teacher pipeline is an ATPE legislative priority for the 89th Legislature.

SB 2185 by Sen. Adam Hinojosa (R–Corpus Christi) – Bilingual education funding

ATPE Legislative Program Categories: Educator Preparation, Certification and Professional Development; School Accountability, Governance and Regulation; and School Funding

ATPE Legislative Program Positions: Certification; Regulatory exemptions, including Districts of Innovation; Texas public education system

Status: Passed – Signed by the governor – Effective Sept. 1, 2025

SB 2185 allows the Texas Education Agency (TEA) to grant exceptions for districts lacking teachers certified in bilingual or dual language that are instead using alternative language education methods approved by the agency. The exception allows a district to qualify for bilingual funding without meeting the requirements for the funding. There is currently a shortage of certified bilingual teachers. 

School accountability, governance, and regulation

SB 1490 by Sen. Paul Bettencourt (R–Houston) – Adult high school charter program funding

ATPE Legislative Program position: Charter schools

Status: Passed – Signed by the governor – Effective Sept. 1, 2025

SB 1490 updates the funding formula for adult high school charter programs by increasing the Average Daily Attendance (ADA) credit for students enrolled for less than a full school year. This change aims to provide more equitable funding for adult learners who may attend school part-time due to work or family obligations.

HB 4687 by Rep. Barbara Gervin-Hawkins (D–San Antonio) – Liability immunity for charter board members

ATPE Legislative Program position: Charter schools

Status: Passed – Signed by the governor – Effective immediately

HB 4687 makes charter school board members immune from liability. Previously, only some charters enjoyed these protections, while there were a few specialized charter groups that did not have immunity. This bill extends those protections to these groups as well.

HB 210 by Rep. Ryan Guillen (R–Rio Grande City) – Board of Trustee conflicts

ATPE Legislative Program position: Collaborative working environment

Status: Passed – Signed by the governor – Effective Sept. 1, 2025

HB 210 seeks to prevent conflicts of interest for members of a school district board of trustees. The bill prevents districts from selecting vendors in which a board member has a business interest. ATPE supported this bill.

HB 3629 by Rep. Candy Noble (R–Lucas) – Prohibition of sex offenders serving as trustees

ATPE Legislative Program positions: Collaborative working environment, School safety

Passed – Signed by the governor – Effective Immediately

HB 3649 ensures that registered sex offenders are not eligible to run for a position on a school district’s board of trustees. ATPE supported this bill.

HB 2674 by Rep. David Cook (R–Mansfield) – Prohibiting homeschool regulations

ATPE Legislative Program position: Regulatory exemptions, including Districts of Innovation

Status: Passed – Signed by the governor – Effective Sept. 1, 2025

HB 2674 prohibits the regulation of homeschools in Texas. ATPE’s concerns about this bill include its effect on existing regulations that include homeschools, as well as the need for rulemaking following the passage of voucher bill SB 2 that will necessarily include homeschooling because homeschoolers may receive the voucher funds. ATPE opposed this bill. We have consistently maintained that any entity receiving public funds should be subject to public regulation.

SB 57 by Sen. Judith Zaffirini (D–Laredo) – Safety drill plans for students with disabilities

ATPE Legislative Program position: School safety

Status: Passed – Signed by the governor – Effective Immediately

SB 57 requires public schools to develop plans specifically tailored to ensuring the safety of individuals with disabilities or impairments during school drills, disasters, or emergencies. ATPE registered neutrally on the bill and submitted written testimony expressing concerns about potential increased administrative burden on educators.  

HB 121 by Rep. Ken King (R–Canadian) – Deputizing law enforcement/school safety

ATPE Legislative Program position: School safety

Status: Passed – Signed by the governor – Effective Sept. 1, 2025

HB 121 aims to enhance public school safety by authorizing the Texas Education Agency (TEA) to commission peace officers and implementing new safety and security requirements for public schools. The bill also changes the composition of the Texas School Safety Center's board of directors and outlines provisions for safety-related resources in schools.

SB 207 by Sen. Angela Paxton (R–McKinney) – Excused student absences for mental health care

ATPE Legislative Program position: School safety

Status: Passed – Signed by the governor – Effective Immediately

SB 207 allows for excused absences for students attending mental health care appointments, reinforcing the importance of mental well-being. ATPE supported the bill.

SB 326 by Sen. Phil King (R–Weatherford) – Procedures for determining antisemitism motivation by students

ATPE Legislative Program position: School safety

Status: Passed – Signed by the governor – Effective Immediately

SB 326 establishes procedures for determining if a student’s behavior was motivated by antisemitism. ATPE supported the bill.

HB 367 by Rep. Jon Rosenthal (D–Houston) – Verification of absences for severe or life-threatening illness

ATPE Legislative Program position: School safety

Status: Passed – Signed by the governor – Effective immediately

HB 367 establishes the documentation needed to verify a serious or life-threatening illness for the purposes of missing school. The bill requires the creation of a form to verify the illness with the student’s physician.

HB 549 by Rep. Cody Vasut (R–Angleton) – Airway clearance devices on school campuses

ATPE Legislative Program position: School safety

Status: Passed – Signed by the governor – Effective immediately

HB 549 requires school districts to place an airway clearance device on every campus and ensure that at least one staff member on each campus is trained to use the device. Although ATPE shares the interest in maximizing student safety, we expressed concern that the medical community has mixed views on the efficacy and safety of these devices.

SB 865 by Sen. Carol Alvarado (D–Houston) – CPR and AED instruction for school employees and volunteers

ATPE Legislative Program position: School safety

Status: Passed – Signed by the governor – Effective immediately

SB 865 requires instruction in cardiopulmonary resuscitation and the use of automated external defibrillators for certain school district, private school, and charter school employees and volunteers. ATPE supported this bill.

SB 870 by Sen. Brian Birdwell (R–Granbury) – Open carry for uniformed school marshals

ATPE Legislative Program position: School safety

Status: Passed – Signed by the governor – Effective immediately

SB 870 allows uniformed school marshals to openly carry, rather than concealed carry, a weapon on a school campus.

SB 920 by Sen. Kevin Sparks (R–Midland) – Administering nonprescription medication in schools

ATPE Legislative Program position: School safety

Status: Passed – Signed by the governor – Effective Sept. 1, 2025

SB 920 focuses on medication administration in open-enrollment charter and private schools, ensuring safe procedures for students. The bill will allow school nurses or other staff to administer nonprescription medication to students with written permission from a parent or guardian. ATPE supported the bill.

HB 1458 by Rep. Will Metcalf (R–Conroe) – Eligibility to serve as armed security at a public school

ATPE Legislative Program position: School safety

Status: Passed – Signed by the Governor – Effective Sept. 1, 2025

HB 1458 allows retired peace officers and reserve deputy sheriffs to become campus guardians under the provisions set forth in HB 3 last session. ATPE supported this bill.

SB 1619 by Sen. Judith Zaffirini (D–Laredo) – Epinephrine devices in schools

ATPE Legislative Program position: School safety

Status: Passed – Signed by the governor – Effective immediately

SB 1619 expands the available devices for epinephrine in public schools to include both auto-injectors and nasal spray. Schools are able to obtain, administer, and store both types of epinephrine.

SB 2398 by Sen. Donna Campbell (R–New Braunfels) – Student concussion protocols

ATPE Legislative Program position: School safety

Status: Passed – Signed by the governor – Effective immediately

SB 2398 requires public schools to adopt policies for handling student concussions, provide academic accommodations for affected students, and develop standardized forms for those accommodations. ATPE supported the bill.

SB 2929 by Sen. Brandon Creighton (R–Conroe) – Removal of spectators at UIL activities

ATPE Legislative Program position: School safety

Status: Passed – Signed by the governor – Effective immediately

SB 2929 allows removal of unruly spectators from school athletic or extracurricular activities. The bill was needed because game officials have seen an increase in verbal abuse and violent behavior from spectators, leading to a shortage of officials willing to work these events. ATPE supported the bill.

SB 1418 by Sen. Donna Campbell (R–New Braunfels) – Assessment terminology update

ATPE Legislative Program position: Testing

Status: Passed – Signed by the governor – Effective immediately

SB 1418 updates the Texas Education Code with new terminology to reflect student satisfactory performance on an end-of-course assessment. ACT-Plan, which is currently referenced in statute, was phased out in 2014 and replaced with the Pre-ACT. The bill replaces ACT-Plan with Pre-ACT references in order to make the code current.

SB 401 by Sen. Angela Paxton (R–McKinney) – UIL participation for homeschool students

ATPE Legislative Program position: University Interscholastic League

Status: Passed – Signed by the governor – Effective immediately

SB 401 allows school boards to vote to decline homeschool student participation in University Interscholastic League (UIL) events. If the school board denies participation, the student is allowed to go to the next closest school and participate there.

School Funding

HB 117 by Rep. Alan Schoolcraft (R–McQueeney) – Governor’s Task Force on the Governance of Early Childhood Education and Care

ATPE Legislative Program position: Prekindergarten

Status: Passed – Signed by the governor – Effective immediately

HB 117 creates the Governor’s Task Force on the Governance of Early Childhood and Care. The task force is meant to examine the early childhood education and care system; develop and recommend high-quality standards; align the policy frameworks of the Health and Human Services Commission, Texas Education Agency, and Texas Workforce Commission related to early childhood education; and consider large-scale system redesign. ATPE submitted written testimony asking for educators to be placed on the task force. The original bill did not include teachers on the task force. Following our testimony, educators were placed on the task force.

HB 2310 by Rep. Claudia Ordaz (D–El Paso) – Early childhood education for students with disabilities

ATPE Legislative Program position: Prekindergarten

Status: Passed – Signed by the governor – Effective immediately

HB 2310 requires TEA, the Texas Workforce Commission, and the Texas Health and Human Services Commission to develop a strategic plan to improve early learning for students with disabilities. ATPE supported the bill.

SB 2337 by Sen. Bryan Hughes (R–Mineola) – Regulation of proxy advisory services

ATPE Legislative Program position: Teacher Retirement System

Status: Passed – Signed by the governor – Effective Sept. 1, 2025

SB 2337 establishes regulations for proxy advisory services provided to shareholders of Texas-domiciled companies. The bill mandates that proxy advisors disclose when their recommendations are influenced by nonfinancial factors—such as environmental, social, or governance (ESG) criteria—and not solely aimed at maximizing shareholder value. Additionally, the bill requires proxy advisors to disclose any conflicts of interest and to provide companies with the opportunity to review and respond to proxy voting recommendations before they are finalized. This bill will have potential impacts on the Teacher Retirement System (TRS).

SB 226 by Sen. Royce West (D–Dallas) – Parental child safety placement enrollment in school

ATPE Legislative Program position: Texas public education system

Status: Passed – Signed by the governor – Effective immediately

SB 226 makes it easier for children who are subject to parental child safety placement agreements to be enrolled in public schools. A letter from the Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS) will be used as proof of residency for enrollment. ATPE supported the bill.

HB 2757 by Rep. James Frank (R–Wichita Falls) – School enrollment for children of foreign military members

ATPE Legislative Program position: Texas public education system

Status: Passed – Signed by the governor – Effective immediately

HB 2757 authorizes school districts to adopt a policy regarding the establishment of the age of a student who is the child of a foreign military member for purposes of school enrollment. The bill aims to ensure visiting military service members’ children do not suffer education delays because of the differences in our state’s school enrollment age and the age of enrollment in the service member's home country.

HB 4236 by Rep. Trey Martinez Fischer (D–San Antonio) – School district property value study group

ATPE Legislative Program position: Texas public education system

Status: Passed – Effective Sept. 1, 2025, without the governor’s signature

HB 4236 establishes a study group to evaluate the school district property value study conducted by the state comptroller. The group will hold a public meeting to assess the study's impact on the annual distribution of state financial aid for public education and develop recommendations for verifying valuations of complex properties included in the study. The study group is composed of six members—three from the Senate and three from the House.

Workplace Issues

HB 20 by Rep. Gary Gates (R–Richmond) – Applied Sciences Pathway Program

ATPE Legislative Program position: Curriculum

Status: Passed – Signed by the governor – Effective immediately

HB 20 establishes an Applied Sciences Pathway Program in Texas to help high school students earn both a high school diploma and a certificate from institutions of higher education in various fields such as plumbing, welding, aviation maintenance, and HVAC, with the intention of serving labor market trends and funneling interested students toward high-growth career pathways.

SB 24 by Sen. Donna Campbell – Teaching about communism in social studies

ATPE Legislative Program position: Curriculum

Status: Passed – Signed by the governor – Effective immediately

SB 24 requires teaching about tactics and historical events surrounding communist regimes to enhance student understanding of communism. Students will be taught about these events in grades 4-12 social studies. While communism is already taught in social studies, particularly in high school, this bill will require more depth, particularly around the tactics of communist regimes to keep citizens in line.

HB 27 by Rep. Ken King (R–Canadian) – Personal financial literacy

ATPE Legislative Program position: Curriculum

Status: Passed – Signed by the governor – Effective immediately

HB 27 changes the high school social studies curriculum to replace the required economics course with a personal financial literacy course. Economics will remain an optional course students can take to receive their third social studies credit, along with world history and world geography. Personal financial literacy is currently provided in schools but as an elective rather than as a required course. ATPE supported the bill.

HB 100 by Rep. Terri Leo Wilson (R–Galveston) – Prohibition of adopting materials from SBOE “rejected” list

ATPE Legislative Program position: Curriculum

Status: Passed – Signed by the governor – Effective immediately

HB 100 prohibits districts from adopting instructional materials on the State Board of Education (SBOE)’s “rejected” list. The Instructional Materials Review and Approval (IMRA) process was created following the 2023 passage of HB 1605. Instructional materials submitted in the IMRA process are reviewed for alignment with the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) and English Language Proficiency Standards (ELPS), as well as factual errors, suitability, and compliance with the parent portal requirement of HB 1605. Materials can be approved or rejected, or no action can be taken. HB 100 seeks only to prohibit districts from adopting materials the SBOE has already reviewed and rejected.

HB 120 by Rep. Keith Bell (R–Forney) – Rural Pathway Excellence Partnership (R-PEP)

ATPE Legislative Program position: Curriculum

Status: Passed – Signed by the governor –
Effective immediately, except Sections 13-21 take effect Sept. 1, 2025, and Section 23 has no effect

HB 120 focuses on enhancing CTE and establishing support programs for high school students. This bill is meant to address expansion of CTE courses, one of the emergency items declared by Gov. Greg Abbott (R) in his February 2025 State of the State address. ATPE supported this bill. Key points of the bill include:

Career and technology education (CTE): The bill aims to ensure that CTE courses meet the needs of the workforce at large, that the courses offered are rigorous, and that students are being properly trained, leading to industry-recognized certifications or degrees.

Military Pathway Grant Program: This new program will provide grants of $50,000 to school districts to establish Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps (JROTC) programs, administer the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB), and offer career counseling.

High school advising program: The bill establishes a program to offer college or career advising for high school students by partnering with institutions of higher education, employers, or workforce boards to provide guidance. The advisors must have a caseload of no more than 200 students and prioritize junior and senior students.

Funding and support: The bill includes provisions for funding these initiatives under the Foundation School Program, with a focus on supporting the development and expansion of CTE programs and advisory services.

HB 824 by Rep. Jolanda Jones (D–Houston) – Civics instruction

ATPE Legislative Program position: Curriculum

Status: Passed – Signed by the governor – Effective immediately

HB 824 includes civics instruction in the required government curriculum for high school students. ATPE supported the bill.

SB 1207 by Sen. Phil King (R–Weatherford) – Adoption instruction in parenting program

ATPE Legislative Program position: Curriculum

Status: Passed – Signed by the governor – Effective immediately

SB 1207 requires public schools to teach about adoption in their parenting and paternity awareness programs.

SB 10 by King | et al. – Display of Ten Commandments in classrooms

ATPE Legislative Program position: Educator working conditions and schedules

Status: Passed – Signed by the governor – Effective Sept. 1, 2025

SB 10 mandates the display of the Ten Commandments in 16-by-20 inch size in every classroom if such a poster is donated. As with similar bills in recent sessions, ATPE submitted written testimony on the bill.

SB 11 by Sen. Mayes Middleton (R–Galveston) – Prayer and Bible reading time in school

ATPE Legislative Program position: Educator working conditions and schedules

Status: Passed – Signed by the governor – Effective Sept. 1, 2025

SB 11 creates a designated time for Bible reading and prayer during the school day for any teacher or student who wants to participate. This time would not take place during instructional time. Parental consent would be required to participate.

SB 204 by Sen. Angela Paxton (R–McKinney) – Parental rights handbook for school trustees

ATPE Legislative Program position: Parental, business, and community involvement

Status: Passed – Signed by the governor – Effective Sept. 1, 2025

SB 204 requires the Texas Education Agency (TEA) to create a handbook of parental rights in education and requires the State Board of Education (SBOE) to develop training for school board members on parental rights.

SB 843 by Sen. Lois Kolkhorst (R–Brenham) – TEA database of bonds

ATPE Legislative Program position: Parental, business, and community involvement

Status: Passed – Signed by the governor – Effective Sept. 1, 2025

SB 843 requires TEA to establish and maintain a comprehensive database of school district bonds, taxes, and related projects. The database aims to centralize critical financial data, making it more accessible to the public and allowing for greater transparency and accountability in school district financial management. Districts will be required to submit the information to TEA. ATPE supported the bill.

Miscellaneous

SCR 5 by Sen. Sarah Eckhardt (D–Austin) – Renaming gym at Texas School for the Deaf

Status: Passed – Signed by the governor

SCR 5 names the gym at the Texas School for the Deaf after alumnus Robert Rives.

HCR 64 by Rep. Pat Curry (R–Waco) – Gifted and Talented Students Week

Status: Passed – Signed by the governor

HCR 64 designates the first full week in April as Gifted and Talented Students Week for a 10-year period ending in 2035.

SB 413 by Sen. Mayes Middleton (R–Galveston) – School board meeting minutes

Status: Passed – Signed by the governor – Effective Sept. 1, 2025

SB 413 creates new requirements for the minutes of school board meetings, including a requirement to post attendance and voting records, as well as a deadline to post the minutes on the district’s website.

SB 991 by Sen. Paul Bettencourt (R–Houston) – Data collection on chronic absenteeism

Status: Passed – Signed by the governor – Effective Sept. 1, 2025

SB 991 classifies chronically absent and truant students as being at risk of dropping out of school and requires collection and reporting of data on those students. ATPE supported this bill.

SB 1049 by Sen. Phil King (R–Weatherford) – Excused absences for released time course

Status: Passed – Signed by the governor – Effective Sept. 1, 2025

SB 1049 allows excused absences from public school for the purpose of attending a released time course. A released time course allows public school students to be excused from regular classes during school hours to receive religious instruction off-campus.

HB 1188 by Rep. Christian Manuel (D–Port Arthur) – Special education student referral to LIDDA

Status: Passed – Signed by the governor – Effective immediately

HB 1188 requires school districts to refer students receiving special education services to a local intellectual and developmental disability authority (LIDDA) for services and benefits. Families and advocates pointed out in public testimony that many schools do not provide information about the LIDDA when the child reaches age 14 as required, and many families never learn about the services LIDDAs offer.

SB 1191 by Sen. Brandon Creighton (R–Conroe) – Computing student GPA

Status: Passed – Signed by the governor – Effective immediately

SB 1191 requires a standard statewide method of computing a student’s high school grade point average. Currently, this is done at the local level, and districts have often used different scales and assigned different weights to courses such as Advanced Placement (AP) or dual credit.

HB 2598 by Rep. Angie Chen Button (R–Garland) – Changing from LSSP to school psychologist

Status: Passed – Signed by the governor – Effective Sept. 1, 2025

HB 2598 changes the name of LSSPs (licensed specialists in school psychology) to “school psychologists” in the Texas Education Code. Button said the bill was necessary to align state statutes with the rules of the Texas State Board of Examiners of Psychologists (TSBEP), which amended its rules to allow for the use of the title “school psychologist.”

SB 2986 by Sen. Donna Campbell (R–New Braunfels) – Use of district facilities for religious groups

Status: Passed – Signed by the governor – Effective Sept. 1, 2025

SB 2986 allows schools, charter schools, and colleges to let religious groups use their facilities for worship or religious events.

HB 3372 by Rep. Will Metcalf (R–Conroe) – Prohibiting conflict of interest jobs by administrators

Status: Passed – Signed by the governor – Effective immediately

HB 3372 bans school administrators from providing paid consulting or contract work. This bill specifically targets administrators who do outside contract work for educational companies that may enter into contracts with the administrator’s school district.

HB 5515 by Rep. Brad Buckley (R–Salado) – Limitation on shipping cost for instructional materials

Status: Passed – Signed by the governor – Effective Sept. 1, 2025

HB 5515 caps the freight and shipping costs for instructional materials.