89th Legislative Session

Effective Date Effective Immediately

Updates references in statute to the ACT-PLAN to PreACT to align with the renaming of the assessment by ACT

STAAR continues until full implementation (by 2027–28).

• Introduces beginning-, middle-, and end-of-year assessments (BOY, MOY, EOY) to replace the current model.
• Requires development of a through-year instructional growth and improvement measure to be incorporated into accountability.
• Requires faster results (teachers and families to receive scores within days) and improved transparency (e.g. public release of accountability ratings annually).
• Removes the requirement that the State Board of Education (SBOE) administer end-of-course tests; gives TEA authority to design, implement, and oversee the assessment program.

2024-25 School Year (previous law):

• ISDs can OPT-IN to allow homeschool participation.
• Homeschool students may participate in UIL activities at the school that the student would be eligible to attend based on the student’s residential address if the school has OPTED-IN to allow homeschool participation.

2025-26 School Year: SB 401 (current law):

• ISDs shall provide homeschool participation unless the school board votes to OPT-OUT of allowing homeschool participation.
• Homeschool students may participate in UIL activities at the school closest to the student’s residential address that does allow homeschool participation, if the school to which they are zoned OPTS-OUT of homeschool participation.

The CSISD Board of Trustees opted out of allowing homeschool participation at its Regular Board mMeeting on Aug. 19, 2025.

Effective Date Effective for the 2025-26 School Year

Clarifies that a verbal warning and persisting in inappropriate behavior are not required for a referee, judge, or other official of an extracurricular athletic activity or competition sponsored by the school or UIL to eject a person that poses a substantial risk of harm from the extracurricular athletic activity or competition.

Effective for the 2025-26 School Year

• Requires the parent of a student seeking an excused absence for a life-threatening illness to have a physician fill out a specific form adopted by the district that includes a statement that the illness is serious or life-threatening
• Prohibits districts from requiring additional documentation for information beyond what is required on the form

Effective for the 2025-26 School Year

Allows districts to adopt a policy to allow children of active-duty foreign military members stationed in Texas start school even if the child the required age yet, as long as they will turn the required age at some point during that school year

Effective for the 2025-26 School Year

Requires school districts to excuse absences for students to appointments with mental health professionals

Effective for the 2025-26 School Year

Allows a child who is living under a parental child safety placement agreement to establish residency with a letter from the Department of Family and Protective Services and requires any placement agreements enacted after August 31 to include a residency letter

Effective September 1, 2025

• Expands the definition of "at risk" to include a student absent 10 or more days or parts of days within a six-month period in the same school year or who is "chronically absent" and defines chronically absent as a student who is absent from school for more than 10 percent of the school’s required operation and instructional time within a school year or an enrollment period that exceeds 30 instructional days
• Requires districts to report absenteeism by whether a student receives compensatory, intensive and accelerated instruction
• Requires TEA to make truancy data for each campus and district publicly available

Effective September 1, 2025

• Requires school districts to excuse student absences for participation in religious instruction provided by a private entity, upon a parent's request, for at least one hour and no more than five hours per week
• Requires districts to adopt a policy by January 1, 2026, outlining the conditions under which such absences will be excused
• Requires the policy to include written parental consent; requires the private entity to maintain attendance records and provide them to the district; requires the parent, student, or private entity to arrange and provide transportation
• Requires the private entity to take responsibility for the student and assume liability during instruction
• Requires the student to complete any missed schoolwork
• Prohibits the use of district funds to support or facilitate the religious instruction Prohibits the private entity from offering the instruction on district property unless under a content-neutral policy that allows equal access to all community groups Prohibits the district from interfering with a parent’s ability to request or obtain religious instruction for their child

Effective September 1, 2025

• Requires trustees to complete training developed by the State Board of Education (SBOE) on the rights of a parent regarding the education of their child by September 2026
• Requires TEA to develop, update annually, and post online a handbook explaining parental rights regarding education of their child

Effective September 1, 2025

• Requires the Bond Review Board to develop and maintain a publicly accessible, searchable database on each bond proposed by a local government, including:
  • Principal amount
  • Estimated interest and repayment amount
  • Estimated minimum annual debt service
• Requires local governments to submit a report to the Bond Review Board 20 days before an election with
• Election date and proposition numbers
• Estimated total cost and minimum annual debt service for each bond Description of each bond’s purpose
• Any other information deemed necessary by the board
• Requires a post-election report within 20 days, including: Total votes cast, for, and against each proposition Updates to any previously submitted information
• Any other information deemed necessary by the board
• Requires local governments to report annually by September 30: Total amount of voter-approved but unissued bonds Statutory authority for bond issuance
• Number of propositions authorizing the bonds
• Estimated cost and minimum annual debt service
• Any other information deemed necessary by the board
• Requires the Bond Review Board to submit a biennial report by December of each even- numbered year to legislative committees, detailing:
• For each voter-approved bond: original total repayment estimate, amount paid to date, annual debt service for the biennium
• Any tax rate increase needed to pay the debt
• Allows the Bond Review Board to adopt rules

Effective September 1, 2025

• Requires the comptroller to consult and coordinate with the Bond Review Board to develop and maintain a database of current and historical information regarding taxes imposed and bonds issued by each taxing unit in the state that must include:
  • The language on the ballot proposition for a Bond
  • The projected I&S tax rate or adopted tax rate
  • Bond election results
  • List of projects funded with bond proceeds
  • Accounting of the use of bond proceeds, including a description of any project paid for with proceeds
  • Description of any increase in I&S resulting from the bond
  • An estimate of the minimum dollar amount spent annually for debt service as a result of the bond
  • Ballot proposition language and results for a VATRE, including:
    • The adopted rate
    • The voter-approval rate
    • The difference between the adopted and voter-approval rate The preceding year’s rate
    • Number of votes cast for and against the proposition
    • The tax rate if the proposition isn’t approved
  • For M&O taxes levied or proposed, the proposed or approved tax rate and the language of the ballot proposition
  • A function to generate a report of the information above
  • A function to allow for the proposal of updates or corrections to the database
• Requires taxing units to provide the information for the current year and any other requested by the comptroller each year by August 7
• Requires taxing units to provide all available current and historical information from 2015 - 2025 to the comptroller by January 1, 2026
• Allows the comptroller to consult with taxing units to maintain the database and may contract with a third party for development and maintenance
• Requires the comptroller to coordinate with the Department of Information Resources to include a separate link to the database on “Texas.gov/PropertyTaxes” and may not charge a fee to the public for access
• Makes taxing units liable for a $1,000 civil penalty if they fail to provide information within 30 days of receiving notice that they are noncompliant and subject to the penalty

Effective September 1, 2025

• Requires the Texas Education Agency (TEA) to develop and maintain a database with current information on school district and charter school bonds, bond-funded projects, and maintenance (I&S) taxes
• Requires the database to include, for each proposed or issued bond:
  • ballot language
  • Projected I&S tax rate
  • Election results
  • List of funded projects
  • Use of bond proceeds, including project descriptions
  • Data on capital projects funded with bond proceeds, including funding sources, costs, budgets, and size
  • Any I&S tax rate increase resulting from the bond
  • For charter school bonds, it must include the funded project list and use of proceeds For maintenance taxes, it must include proposed or approved tax rates and ballot language
  • For VATREs it must include election results and the proposed tax rate
• Requires the system to include a report generation function disaggregated by geographic area and a feature to propose updates or corrections
• Requires districts and charter schools to submit necessary data to TEA
• Authorizes TEA to contract with third parties for database development
• Requires TEA to transmit data to the Bond Review Board

Effective Immediately

• Grants members of a charter school’s governing body the same immunity from liability as school district trustees
• Grants adult high school charter programs and their governing body members immunity from liability to the same extent as districts and their trustees

Effective September 1, 2025

• Changes the calculation for average daily attendance for adult high school charter programs to provide a 100% attendance rate for:
  • 75% of instructional days for students enrolled 50% - 75% of the school year 50% of instructional days for students enrolled 25% - 50% of the school year 25% of instructional days for students enrolled 10% - 25% of the school year

Effective for the 2025-26 School Year

Prohibits districts that provide free meals under the national school breakfast or lunch programs from providing any food that contains any ingredient below but allows a district to submit a waiver to the commissioner for an exemption

• Brominated vegetable oil (BVO) Potassium bromate Propylparaben Azodicarbonamide
• butylated hydroxyanisole(BHA) red 3 (CAS 16423-68-0)
• red 40 (CAS 25956-17-6
• yellow 5 (CAS 1934-21-0) yellow 6 (CAS 2783-94-0)
• blue 1 (CAS 3844-45-9)
• blue 2 (CAS 860-22-0)
• Green 3 (CAS 2353-45-9)
• citrus red 3 (CAS 6358-53-8)
• orange B(CAS15139-76-1)
• INS No.A150 c/ammonia caramel (Class III) INSNo.A150d/sulfite ammonia caramel (Class IV)
• titanium dioxide
• or any additive that is substantially similar to an additive specified above

Effective 2025-26 School Year

Expanded State Education Goals

Adds two new statewide education goals:

• Graduates will possess skills and credentials to directly enter the workforce
• Graduates pursuing postsecondary education will be prepared for coursework without needing remediation

Statewide Career Readiness Goal

• Requires TEA to establish a quantifiable career readiness goal, including workforce-aligned credentials earned in high school
• TEA must update this goal at least every five years starting in the 2028– 2029 school year
• The state CTE plan must ensure JROTC courses qualify as CTE
• Requires TEA to provide available data on graduates who enroll in remedial postsecondary coursework

Postsecondary Outcomes Reporting

• TEA must post de-identified, disaggregated data by district, campus, and cohort for the 10 most recent cohorts on:
• High school graduates:
• Enrollment, remediation, and completion of postsecondary programs by institution and program
• Employment outcomes, including employment status status, occupation, industry, wage, county of employment and residence
• Non-graduates:
  • Highest grade level completed Employment outcomes including employment status status, occupation, industry, wage, county of employment and residence
  • High school equivalency attainment

Data Privacy & Use

• Data must be provided to districts and counselors to support CCMR plan development and counseling duties
• Data sharing must comply with FERPA

District CCMR Plan Requirements

• Include annual goals for aggregate growth on each CCMR indicator
• Use longitudinal outcomes data to set goals
• Plan must be reviewed and approved annually by a majority vote of the board and the report and plan must be posted online at least two weeks before the board meeting
• Submit an annual report to TEA and the LBB.
• TEA must set submission deadlines and post the reports publicly
• TEA may evaluate local goals for alignment with state secondary, postsecondary, and workforce goals

Increased Funding

• Increases per student in ADA allotment from $50 to $150 per student enrolled in or completing P- TECH/R-PEP programs, regardless of district enrollment
• Raises R-PEP bonus funding cap from $5M to $20M
• Extends FAST program eligibility graduated students to students in a P- TECH/R-PEP program
• Allows continued R-PEP participation for schools exceeding the 1,600- student cap, with funding capped at 110% of the amount received the year before exceeding the enrollment cap
• Expands the definition of “new instructional facility” to include renovated space used for high-cost, undersubscribed CTE programs as designated by the commissioner
• Raises the funding cap to $150M
• If demand exceeds funding, the commissioner may remove CTE programs from eligibility
• Limits total grants for planning and establishment of R-PEPs to $5M.
• Permits the use of Foundation School Program funding for:
• Postsecondary advising support toward successful completion of a certificate of degree program to district graduates, up to two years Educating high school graduates enrolled in dual credit programs, including P-TECH and R-PEP
• Removes requirement for partnerships with experienced coordinating entities for P-TEC

CTE Designation for JROTC

• Officially designates JROTC as a Career and Technical Education (CTE) program.

NIFA Expansion for CTE Programs

• Expands the definition of “new instructional facility” to include renovated space used for high-cost, undersubscribed CTE programs as designated by the commissioner

• Raises the funding cap to $150M

• If demand exceeds funding, the commissioner may remove CTE programs from eligibility

Parent Notification on JROTC Opportunities and Data Sharing

• Requires districts to notify parents of JROTC students about early registration or scholarship opportunities linked to military training programs during the high school registration process
• Notice must include an option to share the student’s information with higher education institutions, including:
• Contact/directory info
• Education records
• Other data as prescribed by Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board rule

Annual Career and Postsecondary Information

• Counselors must annually provide students and parents with information on:
  • Career readiness, workforce training, and the My Texas Future website, including how to create a profile
  • Opportunities to complete career training and obtain a postsecondary credential while enrolled, including program costs, completion rates, and average wages of program participants
  • Outcomes, including completion rates and average wages for campus graduates by postsecondary pathway
• The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board must offer annual online training to counselors on statewide postsecondary trends and other information available on the My Texas Future website

Optional State-Paid Career Readiness Assessment

• Adds an approved, nationally recognized career readiness assessment measuring foundational workforce skills as an optional, state- paid assessment for students after the first semester of their junior year

Effective for the 2025-26 School Year

Language from HB 120 was incorporated into Article 6 of HB 2 (see panel above).

Effective for the 2025-26 School Year

• Prohibits vendors from bidding on or receiving a contract from a school district if a board member or board member's immediate family, grandchild, grandparent or spouse of any of those owns more than 10% voting interest in the vendor or one of its subcontractors or has a participating interest in more than 10% of the profits of the vendor, or one of its subcontractors
• Prohibits vendors from bidding on or receiving a contract from a school district if a board member has received or has been promised a gift or in-kind services with a value greater than $250
• classifies an offense as a class C misdemeanor for the first offense, class B for the second, class A for the third, and a state jail felony for a fourth or subsequent offense
• Classifies an offense as a state jail felony if the vendor directly or indirectly compensated a board member as consideration for the district entering into a contract with the vendor

Effective Immediately

Clarifies that if a cybersecurity insurance contract tries to limit a local government from complying with requirements related to notification of security incidents, that part of the policy is void and unenforceable

Effective September 1, 2025

• Increases the threshold for best value procurement methods to $100,000 from $50,000

Effective for the 2025-26 School Year

• Establishes the Applied Sciences Pathway Program and requires the Commissioner to approve program participation between districts and institutions of higher education Allows 11th and 12th grade students to concurrently earn a high school diploma and a certificate from a higher education institution in high-wage, high-growth industries such as plumbing and pipe fitting, electrical, welding, sheet metal, carpentry, masonry, diesel and heavy equipment, aviation maintenance, heating, ventilation, and air conditioning, construction management and inspection, mechanical and aerospace engineering, industrial maintenance and processes, robotics and automation, information technology and cybersecurity, oil and gas exploration and production, refining and chemical processes, transportation distribution and logistics, manufacturing and industrial technology, electronics technology, or automotive technology
• Requires participating districts to partner with higher education institutions to offer non- duplicative, progressive course sequences that allow a student to earn a level one or a level two certificate or credential of value
• Authorizes the commissioner of education to approve partnerships, adopt rules for program administration, and revise the list of eligible industries every five years beginning in the 2027–28 school year
• Allows the Commissioner to approve certain CTE courses as a substitute for high school credits if TEKS requirements are met
• Counts participating students as full-time for funding purposes
• Expires September 1, 2031

Effective for the 2026-27 School Year

• Replaces the currently required half credit economics or economics/personal financial literacy course with a half- credit personal financial literacy course
• Makes economics an option to satisfy the third required social studies credit
• Requires the SBOE to designate an AP courses that can satisfy the personal financial literacy course requirement
• Makes the change effective for students entering ninth grade in the 2025-26 school year

Effective for the 2026-27 School Year

• Prohibits school districts from using or adopting instructional materials that appear on the SBOE’s rejected list
• Requires the SBOE to provide at least 45 days' notice prior to adding materials to the list to allow time for revisions to the material

Effective September 1, 2025

• Limits freight and shipping costs charged by a provider of instructional materials to the actual cost of freight or shipping incurred by the provider

Requires an update to civics TEKS in government to include the role of government officials, the voting process and Texas election laws, eligibility requirements to run for elected office, Robert’s Rules of Order, and the elected officials who represent the student at each level of government

Effective for the 2025-26 School Year

• Requires SBOE to consult victims of communism and related organizations when adopting TEKS for grades 4–12 covering communist regimes and ideologies, including:
• US communist movements and tactics
• Atrocities under communist regimes (e.g., Cultural Revolution, Holodomor, Great Terror, Cambodian genocide, Cuban and Latin American movements)
• Oppression under communism (e.g., mass murder, forced labor, poverty, censorship)
• Comparative analysis of communism and totalitarianism vs. US principles (freedom, democracy, individual rights, merit, free enterprise)
• Modern threats from communist regimes
• Precursor events to communist revolutions
• Evolution of communism into broader cultural control ideologies Methods of spreading communism (e.g., propaganda, shaming, censorship, forced conformity)
• First-person testimonies from victims (live, recorded, or written)

Effective for the 2026-27 School Year

Effective September 1, 2025

• Imposes physical education requirements to charter schools
• Prohibits school districts from taking away recess or PE for students through grades 8 Requires health TEKS in K-8 to include nutrition instruction based on guidelines recommended by the Texas Nutrition Advisory Committee beginning in the 2027- 28 school year
• Requires districts to offer an elective course for one half credit in nutrition and wellness
• Requires institutions of higher education to offer a nutrition education course and requires the course for all medical students or other majors related to health care service provision
• Establishes the Texas Nutrition Advisory Committee to develop nutritional guidelines for Texas residents and outlines membership requirements and duties Requires food for sale in Texas to include warning labels on products that contain specific ingredients banned in Australia, Canada, the EU or the UK
• Requires continuing education in nutrition and metabolic health for certain healthcare workers

Effective Immediately

• Requires the Commissioner, as soon as practicable, to develop a standard method for calculating grade point averages and requires the average to include equal weights for AP, IB, dual credit, and OnRamps courses
• Excludes dual credit courses included in the Workforce Education Course Manual

Effective for the 2025-26 School Year

• Requires the existing parenting and paternity awareness program and associated materials adopted by the State Board of Education for the high school health curriculum to include information about adoption, including:
• The distinction between and process for private adoption and foster care
• Adoption as an alternative to becoming a parent
• The process for placing a child for adoption
• Allows school districts to include information about adoption in the research-based programs and curriculum materials they develop or adopt for use alongside the required parenting and paternity awareness program

Immunity from Disciplinary Proceedings

• Makes employees immune from disciplinary proceedings for reporting a violation of Chapter 37 to anyone in the district, TEA, or law enforcement, or for actions taken in good faith to remove a student from class
• Applies to disciplinary proceedings for conduct before, on, or after September 1, 2025, unless the proceeding was resolved prior

Supplemental Special Education Services Definition

• Includes crisis prevention and intervention training for a student’s parent in the definition of “supplemental special education services”

Student Code of Conduct

• Requires student code of conduct to:
  • Allow DAEP placement for first- time possession or use of a nicotine delivery product or e- cigarette
  • Include whether the board has adopted a parental involvement policy under a positive behavior program
  • Clarifies that students in special education may not be disciplined in ways that change their educational placement but may still be disciplined

Campus Behavior Coordinator

• Requires a single person be designated as the campus behavior coordinator at each campus
• Allows assistance from staff only if the coordinator personally verifies proper legal implementation
• Requires coordinator to:
• Monitor disciplinary referrals Report certain student conduct to the safe and supportive school team:
• A terroristic threat Unlawfully carrying weapons Prohibited weapons Exhibiting, using or threatening to use a firearm Any behaviors or behavioral trends posing serious risk of violence

DAEP Placement

• Removes e-cigarette use or possession as a mandatory DAEP offense
• Requires DAEP placement for: Retaliation or harassment against employees or volunteers Deadly conduct, disorderly conduct involving a firearm, unlawfully carrying weapons, whether on or off school property
• Allows DAEP placement for: Disruptive activities Repeated class disruption E-cigarette use possession
• If it's a first offense and the school chooses not to send the student to DAEP, then ISS for at least 10 days is mandatory

Parental Involvement in Disciplinary Placements

• Allows districts to adopt policies permitting:
  • Notification of parental right to request a behavioral agreement outlining responsibilities of the parent and student when a student is placed in DAEP or expelled
• Reduction in placement period if student and parent comply with a behavioral agreement
  • Clarifies that a reduction in the period of disciplinary placement:
  • Does not entitle students to alternate placements
  • Is at sole discretion of administrator
  • May be revoked or amended if terms aren’t followed
• Requires commissioner to adopt a model behavioral agreement

Teacher Authority to Remove Students

• Eliminates requirement for teachers to document repeated interference with instruction or learning before removal of a student
• Requires notification of parent when student is removed
• Permits removal after a single incident of:
  • Repeated interference
  • Unruly, disruptive or abusive behavior
  • Bullying
• Prohibits return to class unless:
  • Teacher consents in writing OR A return-to-class plan is developed by a placement review committee within three days at a required conference in which the teacher is provided an opportunity to participate
• Requires the return to class plan to be created before or during the conference and discussed at the conference if developed beforehand
• Requires the commissioner to adopt a model return-to-class plan for district use
• Permits student appeal to placement review committee or threat assessment team
• Requires notification of appeal rights to students and parents
• Clarifies ARD committee authority over placements of students with disabilities

Effective 2025-26 School Year

• Requires school districts to adopt a policy prohibiting student use of personal communication devices such as any type of cell phone, tablet, smartwatch, radio device, or other electronic device capable of telecommunication or digital communication on school property during the school day, and to include disciplinary measures for violations
• Requires the policy to either prohibit students from bringing personal communication devices onto school property or establish a method for storing the devices while on campus
• Requires the policy to allow the use of personal communication devices when needed to implement a student's IEP, for a documented medical need based on a physician's directive, or as necessary to comply with health and safety requirements imposed by law or the district's safety protocols
• Requires TEA to develop model policy language

The CSISD Board of Trustees adopted a new policy to prohibit personal communication devices during the school day while on school property prior to the start of the 2025-26 school year.

Effective for the 2025-26 School Year

• Requires districts to use the definition of antisemitism provided in Government Code, including examples provided in taking disciplinary action against a student for behavior that violates the student code of conduct
• Clarifies the definition to be used for antisemitism as "a certain perception of Jews that may be expressed as hatred toward Jews and includes rhetorical and physical acts of antisemitism directed toward Jewish or non-Jewish individuals or their property or toward Jewish community institutions and religious facilities"

Effective September 1, 2025

• Requires public meeting notices to be posted in a publicly accessible place at least three business days before the meeting
• Requires budget meeting notices to include a copy of the proposed budget unless it is clearly posted on the homepage, and a taxpayer impact summary comparing the current year’s tax bill for a median-valued home to the estimated bill under the proposed budget and under a balanced budget using the no-new-revenue tax rate

CSISD posts open meetings in compliance with this law publicly on the district website and in a physical flyer display outside the district administration building (1812 Welsh Ave).

HB 3546 - Effective Immediately

Allows districts to change the date on which they hold the general election for trustees to November and adjust term lengths as necessary to accommodate until December 31, 2030

SB 1494 - Effective Immediately

Allows political subdivisions that currently hold general elections in May to move those elections to the November uniform election date in odd-numbered years, as long as the change is made by December 31, 2025

Effective Immediately

Prohibits a person from serving as a trustee if they’re required to register as a sex offender beginning with terms that begin on or after the effective date and requires applications to run for trustee to include a statement for the applicant to confirm they are aware that a person required to register as a sex offender is not eligible

Effective September 1, 2025

• Requires the minutes of a board meeting to describe the votes of the board members on any item the board voted on, and requires the minutes and any resolutions to be posted within 7 days after the meeting
• Requires all school board meetings to be recorded and made available to the public within 7 days of the meeting

HB 762 - Effective September 1, 2025

• Requires contracts that include a provision for severance pay with an employee or independent contractor to include:
  • A requirement that severance pay may not exceed what the employee world have been paid for 20 weeks, excluding paid time off or accrued vacation leave
  • A prohibition on severance pay if terminated for misconduct
• Requires districts to post each severance agreement on the district's website

Teacher Retention Allotment

• Creates an allotment for classroom teachers
  • Allotments vary by years of experience:
    • 3-4 years: $2,500
    • 5+ years: $5,000
• Repeals prior requirement to spend a portion of the basic allotment increase on compensation

Support Staff Retention

• Creates a support staff retention allotment for non-administrative staff, including part or full-time employees not eligible for the Teacher Retention Allotment
• Includes:
  • A teacher not eligible for the TRA Counselors, Librarians & Nurses Teacher’s Assistant
  • Custodial Staff
  • Food Services Staff
  • Bus Driver
  • Administrative Assistant
  • Other Support Staff
• Precludes:
  • A superintendent or other administrator serving as an educational leader or CEO Assistant superintendent or equivalent role
  • Principal or assistant principal
  • An employee in a centralized supervisory role
• Sets the support staff retention allotment at $45 for each student in adjusted average attendance
• Calculates adjusted average attendance by dividing the total of the district’s allotment under the small and midsize allotment (if applicable) by the basic allotment
• Requires districts to use funds for 2025-2026 salary increases and maintain those increases and only use funds for compensation for non- administrative staff moving forward
• Makes the Allotment TRS Creditable

Education funding Effective September 1, 2025

• 67 billion to the Foundation School Program
• $4.3 billion to sustain property tax relief enacted in previous sessions $3.9 billion in new property tax relief $1 billion for Education Savings Accounts
• $8.5 billion in additional public

• Increases per-student allotment to $20 (up from $10)
• Increases per-campus allotment to $33,540 (up from $15,000)

Effective September 1, 2025

• Allows TEA to require districts to include a report information relating to alternative language education methods and classify methods used by a district in PEIMS Requires TEA to review districts that offer approved alternative lagrange education methods and approve them to receive an allotment at the same weight as the bilingual allotment, capped at $10 million per biennium
• Allows bilingual allotment to be spent on teacher salaries

• Requires TEA to revise the special education system to ensure compliance with all laws and improve student outcomes through:
  • Rulemaking, technical assistance, guidance documents, monitoring protocols and data reporting
  • Support to ESCs in helping districts identify local resources
  • Training for staff serving students with significant behavioral needs
• Requires inclusion of students who are deaf, hard of hearing, or deaf-blind in the comprehensive plan for the education of children with visual impairments
• Allows the commissioner to create a digital IEP form and require district use
• Establishes a monitoring system including that includes a comprehensive cyclical and targeted, risk-based review process

TEA may require districts to obtain specialized technical assistance for:

• Documented noncompliance
• If data indicates assistance is needed (incidents of student- caused injury or high restraint use)
• Requires TEA to implement:
  • A system of interventions for noncompliant districts
  • A system of progressive sanctions, including potential funding reductions
• Allows TEA to perform general supervision activities for monitoring special education to ensure compliance with IDEA
• Allows TEA to publish a list of recommended evidence-based dyslexia programs
• Allows a student receiving special education services to earn a distinguished level of achievement in the foundation high school program

Effective September 1, 2025

• Requires law enforcement agencies that submit a report stating probable cause to believe someone has committed a criminal offense under the Texas Open Meetings Act to send the report to the AG’s Open Records Division
• Requires law enforcement agencies and local prosecutors to provide all requested information related to such investigations to the AG’s office upon request
• Allows local prosecuting attorneys to request investigative assistance from the AG’s Open Records Division in cases involving possible criminal violations of the Open Meetings Act Requires local prosecutors who choose not to prosecute or who terminate an investigation of a possible Open Meetings Act violation to publicly post the decision and reasoning on their office’s website for at least one year

Effective Immediately

• Requires each governmental body to notify the AG of the current email and mailing address for receiving written requests for information each year by October 1
• Requires the AG to maintain a publicly accessible database of all emails and mailing addresses

Effective Immediately

• Allows governmental bodies to hold closed meetings to discuss cybersecurity measures, policies, or contracts solely intended to protect critical infrastructure facilities within their jurisdiction, including communication systems, cybersecurity systems, and related facilities, equipment, and property
• Exempts certain information from disclosure under public information, including:
  • Cybersecurity measures, policies, or contracts solely intended to protect critical infrastructure
  • Coverage limits and deductible amounts for insurance or other risk mitigation coverages acquired for the protection of information technology systems, critical infrastructure, operational technology systems, or data of a governmental body or the amount of money set aside by a governmental body to self-insure against those risks
  • Cybersecurity incident information reported pursuant to state law
  • Network schematics, hardware and software configurations, or encryption information or information that identifies the detection, investigation, or response practices for suspected or confirmed cybersecurity incidents if the disclosure of such information would facilitate unauthorized access to:
    • Data or information, whether physical or virtual
    • Information technology resources, including a governmental body’s existing or proposed information technology system
• Allows disclosure of otherwise confidential information if required by state law
• Requires the governmental body to notify the third party that owns the information or infrastructure at least 5 business days before the disclosure, or within 5 days after if immediate disclosure is required
• Requires that all confidentiality or privilege labels on the disclosed information be retained

• Creates liability for public schools that are grossly negligent, reckless, or engage in intentional misconduct in hiring, supervising, or employing a professional school employee who engages sexual misconduct against an enrolled student or for failure of an employee to report suspected child abuse involving an enrolled student
• Requires the professional school employee to be a named defendant in any related action against the school
• Limits damages recoverable from public schools to $500,000 in actual damages per claimant

Effective September 1, 2025

• Requires a governmental body to respond within 10 days if no responsive information exists, or the information is covered by a previous determination, with citation included Requires governmental bodies to specify applicable exceptions when requesting an AG opinion
• Allows a requestor to file a complaint with the AG if the governmental body fails to respond, including the original request and any received correspondence
• If the AG determines the governmental body failed to comply with state law:
  • Require the AG to notify the governmental body and mandate open-records training for the PIR officer within six months
  • Prohibits the governmental body from charging the requestor
  • Requires the body to request an AG ruling within five days of receiving the request if withholding information, and release the information unless a compelling reason exists

Effective September 1, 2025

• Creates a special right of access for governing board members acting in their official capacity to inspect and/or duplicate public information maintained by the governmental body
• Requires redaction of confidential information at no cost
• Clarifies that attorney-client privileged information is not disclosable unless the privilege applies to the member, and require notice if information is withheld on that basis
• Allows the governmental body to the governmental body to require a confidentiality agreement covering nondisclosure, labeling, secure storage, and return or destruction of materials
• Allows the member to request an AG decision on whether the information is confidential under law
• Requires the AG to set procedures and deadlines and respond to a request within 45 business days
• Allows the governmental body to appeal the AG’s decision and seek a writ of mandamus in district court

Effective September 1, 2025

• Allows districts to allow religious organizations to use school facilities to host religious services if the use of the facility does not interfere with the primary educational mission, the religious organization pays fair market rental value or reimbursement for costs, agrees to be held liable for damage and is subject to the same rental terms as any nonreligious organization
• Defines interfering with the primary educational mission if the organization engages in religious services during school hours, displays signs, symbols, books, or flyers on property at a time other than when being used for the religious services, or if the district or an employee promotes the religious organization’s use of the facility in any manner Clarifies that these provisions only affect contracts entered into or updated on or after September 1, 2025

Reaffirms that schools may not infringe on constitutionally protected parental rights, including:

• Directing moral and religious upbringing Making educational decisions
• Consenting to medical, psychiatric, and psychological treatment
• Allows restrictions only if: Necessary to further a “compelling state interest” such as life- saving medical care Done in the least restrictive way
• (For context: A “compelling state interest” is a legal term that requires more than a valid reason for a district’s action, but instead requires the district’s reason for the action to be of the highest level of importance or need)
• Requires in-person parent-teacher conferences at least twice a year

Lawsuits

• Expands TEC 11.161 to allow districts to recover court costs and attorney’s fees for frivolous administrative proceedings with judicial findings and an order dismissing the case or ruling in the school district’s favor as well as lawsuits, excluding IDEA cases and grievances

Facility Use

Requires districts to publish an annual report with:

• Square footage of each building
• Acreage of land which district buildings are located
• Student capacity of each instructional building Campus and grade-level enrollment capacity Current enrollment by campus and grade level Campus building use details
• Directs the Commissioner to adopt rules and publish reports on the TEA website annually

Student Clubs

• Prohibits school authorization or sponsorship of clubs based on sexual orientation or gender identity
• Requires written parental consent before any student may participate in any club

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI)

• Defines DEI as
  • Involving race/ethnicity/sex-based hiring
  • Differential treatment based on race/ethnicity
  • Adopting or implementing policies, procedures, trainings, activities, or programs that talk about race, color, ethnicity, gender identity, or sexual orientation except for student recruitment efforts by HBCUs or ff required by state law
  • Forcing, requiring, or asking anyone to make a statement about DEI or treating someone better than someone else for making a statement about DEI Prohibits districts from:
    • Assigning DEI duties
    • Allowing an employee, contractor or volunteer to engage in DEI on behalf of the district
• Requires districts to adopt a discipline policy for intentional DEI violations and provide it to all staff
• Clarifies districts may still:
  • Contract with historically underutilized businesses or businesses owned by minority groups or women
  • Recognize and teach about the significance of commemorative months and holidays (Black History Month, Hispanic Heritage Month, etc.)
  • Use demographic data to address academic gaps
  • Teach TEKS as written
  • Collect, monitor, and report data, including demographics
• Requires superintendents to certify DEI compliance by September 1 annually, including:
  • Board-approved certification with 7-day meeting notice Submission to TEA with descriptions of policies and procedures adopted, how notifications were sent to employees, existing policy changes made, and resulting cost savings

Library Materials & Catalog

Grants parents access to records of library materials their child checks out

Defines the following:

• Harmful Material – Matches Penal Code 43.24 definition, “material whose dominant theme taken as a whole:
  • appeals to the prurient interest of a minor, in sex, nudity, or excretion;
  • is patently offensive to prevailing standards in the adult community as a whole with respect to what is suitable for minors; and
  • is utterly without redeeming social value for minors.
• Indecent Content – “content that portrays sexual or excretory organs and activities in a way that is patently offensive”
• Library Material – “any book, record, file, or other instrument or document in a school district’s library catalog,” which does not include instructional materials or materials from the TexShare consortium Profane Content – “content that includes grossly offensive language that is considered a public nuisance”
• Requires updated TSLAC library standards to address:
  • Indecent and profane content
  • Materials linking to prohibited content online
  • Materials accessible via apps or student- accessed catalogs
  • Compliance with the Children’s Internet Protection Act (CIPA)
• Requires adoption of updated TSLAC standards by April 1, 2026
• Allows districts to adopt their own standards

Parental Access to Catalog & Materials

• Requires districts and charters to adopt procedures allowing parents of enrolled students to:
  • Access all library materials available at each school Submit a list of materials their child may not access, using:
  • Electronic or physical form
  • Online library catalog
• Authorizes use of instructional materials and technology allotment funds for compliance

Parent Access to Student Records

• Requires districts using a learning management system or online portal to:
  • Provide notice each time a student accesses library material outside of the school library
  • Include in the notice: title, author, genre, and due date if not in conflict with TSLAC’s

Access CSISD Library Materials on the district website

Effective September 1, 2025

Classifies it as felony, punishable 10 years to life in prison, to display or cause to be displayed in a school library visual material that contains a visual depiction of a child engaging in sexual conduct or visual material showing a computer-generated child engaged in sexual conduct, if the person knows or should have known the depiction is of a child, with increasing penalties for depictions of children under 10, if the actor was previously convicted, or if the actor possesses a certain amount of visual depictions

Teacher Rights and Instructional Quality

Prohibits requiring teachers to teach in-person and virtual students simultaneously but allows live streaming of in-person classes only if teachers are not expected to interact with students watching the live stream

Requires professional development for hybrid/virtual teachers unless they already have sufficient experience
Prohibits reassigning a teacher to hybrid/virtual roles without consent

Requires hybrid/virtual courses to align with TEKS, meet grade-level standards, and follow Commissioner or national quality standards
Requires virtual courses for special education students to meet their educational needs

Enrollment Eligibility and ADA Funding

Allows any student eligible for public school to eligible to enroll in a full-time hybrid campus
Allows enrollment in full-time virtual campuses only if the student:

Attended Texas public school at least six weeks the prior year
Is entering 1st grade
Recently moved to Texas

Is a dependent of a deployed military service member
Is in state care

Calculates ADA for full-time virtual/hybrid campuses using the district’s average attendance rate
Requires school boards to set participation criteria for course credit/grades

Excludes students in virtual programs from the fast growth allotment
Requires the Commissioner to adopt attendance rules that do not require in-person or synchronous instruction for full funding equivalence

District and Provider Oversight

Requires districts to

Engage in a year of planning before offering a course
Develop academic plans that incorporate TEKS aligned curriculum and instructional practices, progress monitoring, methods for meeting student need in special populations and compliance with state law

Develop operations plans addressing staffing, designation of leadership, professional development, family engagement, calendars and schedules, enrollment eligibility, cybersecurity and data privacy, and education services provided by a third party Demonstrate capacity to successfully implement the plan

Requires campuses to include at least one grade with state assessments or another Commissioner- approved evaluation measure or to include sufficient grade levels to allow for evaluation of student performance

Prohibits districts from changing a campus designation for a full-time hybrid or virtual campus during or after the approval process Allows the Commissioner to approve full-time hybrid or virtual campuses only if they are likely to improve student outcomes

Makes campus authorization indefinite, revocable only if:

The campus receives a “needs improvement” or “unacceptable” performance ratings for three consecutive years
A special investigation finds cause

A whole program provider is ruled ineligible

without Commissioner-approved replacement Requires districts to notify TEA of third-party provider use and changes for third-parties acting as a whole program provider

Requires the Commissioner to set standards for provider eligibility and prohibits use of ineligible providers without approval

Effective September 1, 2025

• Artificial Intelligence Training Requirements for School Cybersecurity Coordinators Requires school district cybersecurity coordinators to complete a certified artificial intelligence (AI) training program
• Requires the Department of Information Resources to annually certify five AI training programs for state and local government employees that are equal in length to certified cybersecurity training programs
• Requires the Department to update standards for maintaining certification of AI training programs
• Requires certified programs to build understanding of how AI may be used in relation to the trainee’s responsibilities and to teach best practices for AI literacy and deployment

Effective September 1, 2025

• Requires trustees to complete training developed by the State Board of Education (SBOE) on the rights of a parent regarding the education of their child by September 2026
• Requires TEA to develop, update annually, and post online a handbook explaining parental rights regarding education of their child

Effective September 1, 2025

• Artificial Intelligence Training Requirements for School Cybersecurity Coordinators Requires school district cybersecurity coordinators to complete a certified artificial intelligence (AI) training program
• Requires the Department of Information Resources to annually certify five AI training programs for state and local government employees that are equal in length to certified cybersecurity training programs
• Requires the Department to update standards for maintaining certification of AI training programs
• Requires certified programs to build understanding of how AI may be used in relation to the trainee’s responsibilities and to teach best practices for AI literacy and deployment

Effective September 1, 2025

• Requires trustees to complete training developed by the State Board of Education (SBOE) on the rights of a parent regarding the education of their child by September 2026
• Requires TEA to develop, update annually, and post online a handbook explaining parental rights regarding education of their child

Effective January 1, 2026 if HJR 1 is Approved by Voters in November 2025

• Exempts the first $125,000 of appraised value of business personal property from property taxation

Effective September 1, 2026

• Exempts all intangible personal property from property taxation

Effective January 1, 2026 if HJR 34 is Approved by Voters in November

• Provides a property tax exemption for the full value of any property as a result of improvements made as part of a border security infrastructure agreement or on land that is subject to an easement for the construction of border security infrastructure

Effective January 1, 2026 if HJR 99 is Approved by Voters in November

• Makes animal feed that is exempt from sales taxes also exempt from property taxes

Effective January 1, 2026 if HJR 133 is Approved by Voters in November 2025

• Provides a homestead tax exemption to the total appraised value of the residence homestead of a surviving spouse’s of a veteran who died due to a qualifying condition or disease, provided the spouse has not remarried

Effective January 1, 2026

Expands the property tax exemption for charitable organizations to include property owned by charitable organizations that provide housing and related services to individuals aged 62 or older without regard to the residents' ability to pay if the services account for at least 4% of net revenue if the organization has been or is under the common control of an organization that has been in existence for at least 20 years

Effective Immediately

Allows the chief appraiser to require individuals who have previously been granted a tax exemption to file a new application or confirm their current qualification for the exemption only if the chief appraiser believes the person no longer qualifies, if he has attempted to determine whether the person still qualifies and delivers written notice to the person stating why the person may no longer notify

Effective Immediately

• Establishes a temporary study group to evaluate the Texas Comptroller’s school district property value study
• Requires the group to hold one public meeting to examine the study’s impact on state education funding and to develop recommendations for valuing complex properties Sets group membership at six legislators: three senators appointed by the lieutenant governor and three representatives appointed by the speaker
• Allows the group to request information from state agencies and local entities, which must comply
• Requires a report with findings and recommendations be submitted to the governor, lieutenant governor, speaker, and all legislators by December 1, 2026

Effective for Tax Year Beginning in 1/1/25 if SJR 2 is Approved by Voters in November 2025

• Increases the homestead exemption to $140,000 from $100,000
• Provides a hold harmless for I&S funding to offset the impact of the increased homestead exemption; limits any I&S hold harmless related to increased homestead exemption to the amount required to service eligible debt, including refunding of debt Caps state funding at the amount needed to cover payments on debt that has been issued and had at least one payment made by September 1, 2025

Effective for Tax Year Beginning in 1/1/25 if SJR 85 is Approved by Voters in November 2025

• Increases the additional homestead exemption for individuals who are disabled or 65 or older to $60,000 from $10,000
• Provides a hold harmless for I&S funding to offset the impact of the increased homestead exemption
• Limits any I&S hold harmless related to increased homestead exemption to the amount required to service eligible debt, including refunding of debt; caps state funding at the amount needed to cover payments on debt that has been issued and had at least one payment made by September 1, 2025

Effective November 4, 2025 if Approved by Voters in November 2025

Proposes a constitutional amendment to state that a parent has the inherent right to direct the upbringing of their child, including the right to exercise care, custody, and control of the child

Effective January 1, 2026

• Redefines "current debt service" as the minimum amount required for debt service Requires the notice to adopt the tax rate to include that minimum amount; requires the district to post the minimum principal and interest amount on its website
• Allows the governing body to adopt a higher rate with 60% approval, if the motion includes the proposed rate, how much it exceeds the minimum, and the purpose of the extra revenue

Effective September 1, 2025

Prohibits school districts from adopting a tax rate using the disaster exception to the voter approval requirements if the school district held an VATRE election that failed

Effective January 1, 2026

Clarifies that in the year after a person first qualifies for a disabled or elderly homestead exemption, their school district taxes will be based on whichever is lower: the frozen tax amount or the actual tax for that year on their home

Effective September 1, 2025

• Designates reserve police officers appointed by a school district police department as peace officers
• Recognizes reserve deputy sheriffs, reserve police officers appointed by a school district police department, and honorably retired peace officers who have maintained an active commission and met training requirements as eligible security officers for fulfilling the armed security officer requirement on school campuses
• Allows school boards to authorize the chief of the school district police department to appoint reserve police officers
• Authorizes chiefs of school district police departments to determine whether and when reserve police officers may carry a weapon
• Specifies that reserve school district police officers are not eligible for full-time employment or pension benefits

Effective September 1, 2025

• Allows the Texas Department of Public Safety to donate surplus motor vehicles and law enforcement equipment to school districts in economically disadvantaged areas if the Texas Facilities Commission determines the donation will support border security and efforts to combat transnational crime
• Limits the use of donated surplus property to law enforcement duties

Effective September 1, 2025

• Requires the commissioner to develop guidelines by June 1, 2026, which districts are required to follow, to ensure students and staff with disabilities are provided equal access to safety during a disaster or emergency situation, including recommendations regarding accommodations for students with an IEP during a mandatory school drill, required documentation, required communication, and requires consultation with public school administrators
• Requires the district's schools safety and security committee to include a special education administrator and ensure the plans reflect recommended accommodations for students with IEPs; requires the committee to meet in executive session when discussing student IEP information

Effective for the 2025-26 School Year

• Requires Public Schools to post a durable poster or framed copy of the Ten Commandments in a conspicuous place in each classroom
• The poster or frame must include only a specific translation of the Ten Commandments, legible from anywhere in the classroom and be at least 16x20 inches
• Requires a school to accept any privately donated poster or copy of the ten commandments that meets the size, content, and legibility guidelines for any classroom without a poster or framed copy
• It clarifies that a district may, but is not required to use district funds to purchase posters or copies

CSISD opted to not use district funds to purchase posters, but accepted private donations for all 19 schools in the fall of 2025. These posters have been distributed to schools and are being placed in classrooms as soon as practically possible.

Effective for the 2025-26 School Year

Allows a board of trustees to take a record vote to adopt a policy requiring every campus to provide students and employees with the opportunity to participate in a period of prayer and reading of the Bible or other religious text on each school day

Requires the policy to:

• Prohibit a student or employee from being permitted to participate unless the employee or parent of a student submits a signed consent form that includes acknowledgement that they have a choice to participate Require a statement that participants have no objection to participation, and a waiver of their right to bring.a claim related to the policy
• Prohibit the prayer and reading of a religious text over the PA system
• To specify that it may not be a substitute for instructional time
• To ensure prayer and reading are not happening in the presence of someone who hasn't consented

Allows an employee parent to revoke consent and they can no longer participate until a new consent form is submitted
Requires the AG to provide best methods, a model consent form, and to defend the district in a cause of action related to the policy

Effective September 1, 2025

• Requires the commissioner to develop guidelines by June 1, 2026, which districts are required to follow, to ensure students and staff with disabilities are provided equal access to safety during a disaster or emergency situation, including recommendations regarding accommodations for students with an IEP during a mandatory school drill, required documentation, required communication, and requires consultation with public school administrators
• Requires the district's schools safety and security committee to include a special education administrator and ensure the plans reflect recommended accommodations for students with IEPs; requires the committee to meet in executive session when discussing student IEP information

Begins 2026-27 School Year

Eligibility & Enrollment

• Makes all Texas public school-eligible children eligible for an ESA Authorizes the comptroller to set application timelines
• Requires a lottery if demand exceeds funding, prioritizing:
  • Siblings of current participants
  • First-time applicants
  • Returning participants who reentered public school
• Within each group, prioritizes:
  • Children with disabilities and income ≤500% FPL Income ≤200% FPL
  • Income 200%–500% FPL
  • Income >500% FPL (capped at 20% of total funding) and students enrolled in public school for at least 90% of the prior year Requires joint approval of sibling applications submitted together Requires a waitlist for unaccepted applicants

Program Overview & Funding

• Creates an ESA program run by the comptroller for approved education expenses
• Funds each ESA at 85% of the statewide average per-ADA funding, including TRS Adds up to $30,000 annually for students with disabilities
• Caps homeschool funding at $2,000 per student per year
• Allows unused funds to roll over
• Limits total funding to $1 billion in the first biennium
• Requires the comptroller to request funding for current participants, eligible siblings, and waitlisted students as of January 1
• States the Legislature is not required to fund the full request
• Caps administrative costs at 3% for the comptroller and 5% for certified assistance orgs
• Permits use of appropriated funds for program marketing