The ATPE Governmental Relations team recaps the past week’s education news, legislative and election updates, and regulatory developments. ATPE members: Share your thoughts and ask our lobby team questions in The Rotunda on the ATPE Online Community. 

• ATPE recaps major education bills of the 89th Legislature 
• Congress expands use of 529 savings plans under the ‘One Big Beautiful Bill’ 
• TRS Board announces TRS-Care updates at its July meeting 
• Contact your lawmakers about testing and accountability 
• Check out these highlights from the 2025 ATPE Summit 
• Stay up to date and take action using ATPE’s member advocacy tools 

WRAP-UP: This week, ATPE showcased major education bills of the 89th Legislature in a six-part wrap-up; each post is linked below.  

• Funding, compensation, and the teacher pipeline 
• School working conditions 
• Vouchers and virtual schools 
• Parental rights 
• Legal issues and liability 
• Testing and accountability 

Each bill includes ATPE’s position on the legislation (where applicable), along with links to related ATPE Legislative Program categories and positions.  

Plus: In the epilogue to our regular session wrap-up, we take a look at other new legislation of interest to Texas public educators. Read more in this blog post by ATPE Governmental Relations Director Monty Exter. 

529 SAVINGS PLANS: On the Fourth of July, President Donald Trump signed into law a budget reconciliation measure enacting numerous tax cuts and federal spending provisions. The over 1,000-page “One Big Beautiful Bill” Act (H.R. 1) includes provisions that expand the use of 529 savings plans to cover a wider range of K–12 education expenses and educator certification costs. ATPE Governmental Relations Director Monty Exter and ATPE Associate Executive Director Jennifer Mitchell break down the changes in this blog post. 

TRS: The TRS Board of Trustees met July 17-18, 2025, in Austin. The board received an update on the 89th legislative session, considered its annual budget, and announced four TRS-Care updates: no premium increases for 2026 plans, upcoming enrollment dates for TRS-Care Dental and Vision, upcoming Health Education Fairs, and a new Member Rewards program for TRS-Care Standard. ATPE Governmental Relations Director Monty Exter has more details in this blog post. 

ADVOCACY CENTRAL: With STAAR testing and accountability on the agenda for the special session beginning Monday, July 21, it's crucial lawmakers in Austin hear from educators about these important issues. We’ve made it easy for you to reach out to your state legislators using ATPE's Advocacy Central with two ready-made campaigns: 

• Urge House members to support HB 92 – a bill to reduce standardized testing to the federal minimumsUrge House members to support House Bill (HB) 92 – a move to reduce standardized testing to the federal minimums. 
• Share input on reforming the state’s testing and accountability system. 

You can also help inform ATPE’s lobbying efforts during the special session by completing this brief survey. 

SUMMIT: ATPE members gathered July 7–9 at the JW Marriott Austin Downtown for the 2025 ATPE Summit. They participated in the ATPE House of Delegates, adopted the ATPE Legislative Program, attended continuing professional education and volunteer training sessions, and reconnected with friends from across the state of Texas. Check out this Facebook album to see photos from this amazing event.  

Plus: It’s not too early to save the date for the 2026 ATPE Summit! Mark your calendar for July 7–9, 2026—next year’s event will take place at the JW Marriott Hill Country Resort in San Antonio. 

MEMBER ADVOCACY: With the special session beginning Monday, July 21, here are a few advocacy resources to check out: 

• Judy: Chat with ATPE’s new AI assistant for Texas educators, ready to help you with all things ATPE and all things #txed.   
• Advocacy Central: Get in touch with your elected officials about the legislation impacting your profession. 
• ATPE Member Advocate Program (ATPE-MAP): Enroll in ATPE-MAP to earn the state-level and recently released local-level advocacy microcredential, as well as earn continuing professional education (CPE) credit. ATPE-MAP is included in your member benefits, so check it out today.    
• The Rotunda: Don’t forget, members, that you can interact with your ATPE lobby team throughout the week when you log in to the ATPE Online Community.