Legislative News and Updates from the 89th Texas Legislative Session
Bushland ISD Legislative News
Engaging our Bushland ISD community in advocacy efforts is a top priority for the district. This web page provides our constituents and families with information and resources related to the legislative policy-making process and the impact those policies have on our district, schools, and students.
Top News
3-4-2025
SB 13 (Paxton) – Relating to a school district’s library materials and catalog, the creation of local school library advisory councils, and parental rights regarding public school library catalogs and access by the parent’s child to library materials. Vote on substitute: 10-1, bill will be reported favorably to full Senate.
SB 10 (King | et al.) – Relating to the display of the Ten Commandments in public school classrooms. Sen. Parker moves that the bill pass and be reported favorably to full Senate. Vote: 9-1 (Sen. West present but not voting), bill will be reported favorably to full Senate.
SB 11 (Middleton | et al.) – Relating to a period of prayer and reading of the Bible or other religious text in public schools. Sen. King moves that bill pass and be reported favorably to full Senate. Vote: 10-1, bill will be reported favorably to full Sentae.
3-3-2025
The Senate Committee on Education K-16 has scheduled a hearing for 11 a.m. (or upon adjournment of the Senate) on Tuesday, March 4, to hear testimony on the following bills.
SB 10 (King, et al.) would require public schools to display the Ten Commandments in each classroom.
SB 11 (Middleton, et al.) would allow a public school district’s board of trustees to adopt a resolution requiring campuses to provide students and employees with an opportunity to participate in a period of prayer and reading of the Bible or other religious text on each school day.
SB 569 (Bettencourt, et al.) relates to the provision of virtual education in public schools and to certain waivers and modifications by the commissioner of education to the method of calculating average daily attendance in an emergency or crisis for purposes of preserving school district funding entitlements under the Foundation of School Program during that emergency or crisis; authorizing a fee.
2-27-2025
The Senate State Affairs Committee has scheduled a hearing from 9 a.m., Monday, March 3, to consider several bills, including:
SB 810 (Hughes), which would prohibit a school district or open-enrollment charter school from disciplining, retaliating against, or otherwise discriminating against a district or school employee who addresses a student or another district or school employee in therm consistent with the biological sex of the student or employee.
SB 965 (Parker, et al.), which would codify the right of school employees to engage in religious speech or prayer while on duty.
Senate Passes SB 26 Teacher Pay Bill, Sending it to House
Yesterday, the Texas Senate voted 31-0 to pass SB 26, the teacher compensation bill heard in the Senate Education Committee on February 20. See the highlights of SB 26 as filed. The Senate approved seven amendments to the bill on the Senate floor. SB 26 will now go to the House.
March 3: House Pensions & Investments Committee to Meet
The House Pensions, Investments & Financial Services Committee has scheduled an organizational hearing for 10 a.m., Monday, March 3, when committee members will hear invited testimony only on the Teacher Retirement System, as well as the Employee Retirement System and the Texas Department of Banking.
March 5: Senate Finance to Hear School Safety Bill
The Senate Finance Committee has scheduled a hearing for 9 a.m., Wednesday, March 5, to hear testimony on several bills, including SB 260 (Huffman, et al.), which would double both the school safety per-campus allotment and per-student allotment.
Read SB 260 as filed.
2-26-2025
Thursday: “Taxpayer-Funded Lobbying” Bill to be Heard in Senate State Affairs Committee
The Senate Committee on State Affairs will hear invited and public testimony on Thursday, February 27, beginning at 9 a.m. in the Senate chamber. A bill of importance to TASA membership on the committee’s agenda is SB 19 filed by Sen. Mayes Middleton. The bill is also a legislative priority for Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick.
As filed, SB 19 would:
- Prohibit school districts and other political subdivisions from spending public funds to hire lobbyists to speak on their behalf before members of the Texas Legislature.
- Prohibit school districts or other political subdivisions from using funds to pay nonprofit state associations, like TASA, or other organizations that engage in lobbying activities in Texas.
- Clarify that officers or employees of school districts and other political subdivisions can continue to provide information to legislators or appear before legislative committees, provided these actions do not require lobbyist registration in Texas.
- Allow taxpayers or residents of a political subdivision to seek injunctive relief to prevent prohibited activities and recover reasonable attorney’s fees and costs if they prevail in such actions.
2-24-2025
Buckley Files House School Funding Bill
HB 2 is an omnibus bill relating to public education for public school finance. The 148-page bill makes numerous changes to school finance provisions, including increasing the Basic Allotment. The bill provides more than $8 billion in funding for public education. Major highlights from the bill include:
- Increases the Basic Allotment from $6,160 to $6,380 ($220). Requires districts to use at least 40 percent (currently 30 percent) for compensation increases.
- Provides a hold harmless for declining enrollment of more than 5% in ADA from the prior year. Districts will receive 95% of the funding from the preceding school year. Caps the program at $50 million per year.
- Increases the small and midsized adjustments: small size from .0004 to .00062 and midsize from .000025 to .000035.
Buckley Files House ESA bill
HB 3, as filed by House Public Education Committee Chair Brad Buckley, creates a $1 billion Education Savings Account (ESA) program to be administered and regulated by the Texas Comptroller’s Office beginning with the 2026-27 school year.
Lottery System
On receipt of more applications than available funding, a CEAO would fill the available positions through a lottery system that prioritizes children with disabilities, special learning needs, and/or those who live in a household that qualifies based on criteria from the 2025 Federal Poverty Guidelines, specifically children:
- with a disability and who are members of a household with a total annual income at or below 200 percent of the guidelines
- who are members of a household with a total annual income at or below 200% of the guidelines
- who are members of a household with a total annual income above 200% but below 500% of the guidelines
- who are members of a household with a total annual income at or above 500% of the guidelines
Read the full HB 3 summary.
Buckley Files Priority Accountability Bill
House Public Education Committee Chair Brad Buckley filed HB 4 as part of his priority legislation. The bill makes changes to the public school assessment and accountability systems, including actions and proceedings challenging those state systems. Some highlights of HB 4 include:
- Mandates the commissioner of education to issue A-F rating each school year
- Allows the commissioner to issue performance ratings later than August 15 in years in which the performance standards change
- Prohibits the commissioner from assigning an overall rating of “Not Rated” to all districts or all campuses on a statewide basis
- Removes the requirement that the commissioner ensure a performance evaluation allows all districts and campuses the mathematical possibility to receive an A rating
- Removes the provision requiring the commissioner to provide a document (accountability manual) outlining accountability performance measures, methods and procedures to be used in evaluation performance for each school year, and there would no longer be a timeline for the commissioner to provide that information.
Read the full HB 4 summary.
1-24-2025
House and Senate Budget Bills Filed
Both the House and Senate filed their budget bills this week: SB 1 by Sen. Joan Huffman and HB 1 by Rep. Gregg Bonnen. The one task the Legislature is constitutionally required to complete every regular session is to adopt a budget. The state budget bill is usually one of the last measures to pass in a legislative session, so there will be ongoing negotiations on the bills throughout the session.
Resources
Here are some excellent resources for following the Texas Legislature. You can watch floor sessions and committee meetings, read and track bills, and much more on these websites.
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