The 87th Texas Legislature convenes Jan. 12, 2021, for a 140-day session. Below you'll find more information about education-related bills filed during the session. Click on the bill's name in the table to see more details about it.

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Bill Number Sponsor Last Action Bill Categories Bill Summary
HB 24 Rep. Alex Dominguez Left pending Special populations

Requires the commissioner to distribute funds to provide at least one playground in each district that is inclusive and accessible for students with disabilities. (Failed to pass House Public Education Committee.)

 
HB 30 Rep. James Talarico Passed House committee Special populations

Addresses instruction in the Windham School District leading to a standard high school diploma for each incarcerated student under age 18, or under age 22 if receiving special education services. Referrals to the program will take into consideration remaining sentence time, educational functioning level, and recommendations by the ARD committee.
HB 41 Rep. James Talarico Passed House committee Class sizes

Requires districts (removing "must attempt to" phrasing) to maintain a ratio in any pre-K program class of no less than one teacher or aide for each 11 students, and to maintain 22:1 class size caps as for K-4 classes.
HB 59 Rep. Andrew Murr Left pending Finance

Prohibits districts from imposing M&O taxes. An enrichment tax of up to 17 cents per $100 of taxable property value is allowed to to enrich students' educational opportunities. Creates the joint interim committee on the elimination of school district M&O taxes. The committee will evaluate the effectiveness of increasing/expanding or newly imposing consumption (sales) taxes to fund public schools.
HB 81 Rep. Eddie Rodriguez Passed House committee School Structure

Provides that a campus turnaround plan can allow a campus to operate as a community school. Such a plan must include programs to coordinate academic, social and health services and reduce barriers to learning through partnerships and service coordination. Programs can include early childhood education, after-school and summer school programs, college and career prep, service learning opportunities, leadership and mentoring programs, activities to encourage community and parent involvement, health and social services for students and their families, and parenting classes.
HB 97 Rep. Gina Hinojosa Passed House committee Charter schools

Prohibits discrimination in charter school admissions based on discipline history, except that it allows for exclusion of a student who is currently in a DAEP or JJAEP, or who has been expelled from a district or charter school. Also provides that a charter can exclude a student from a charter school campus that includes a child-care facility if convicted for a criminal offense that would preclude the student from a school district campus with a child-care facility.
HB 129 Rep. Mary Gonzalez Passed House School Safety

Requires 6th grade students to complete instruction in digital citizenship as part of the social studies curriculum. The definition of digital citizenship is expanded to include digital ethics, etiquette, respectful discourse, safety, security, digital footprint, identification of dangerous rhetoric, cyberbullying prevention, and the importance of freedom of speech.
HB 130 Rep. Eddie Rodriquez Left pending Miscellaneous

States a toll project entity may not require a school bus to pay a toll for use of a toll project.
HB 144 Rep. Mary Gonzalez Passed House committee COVID-19

Titled the COVID-19 Special Education Recovery Act. Provides that for each child in special education during 2019-20 or 2020-21, the district must prepare a supplement included with the written statement of the IEP.
HB 159 Rep. Mary Gonzalez Passed House committee Special populations

Requires the SBOE to specify what each educator is expected to know and be able to do, particularly with regard to students with disabilities. Includes specific knowledge and abilities that must be included and demonstrated during educator preparation. Also includes related subject matter in the evaluation of an ed prep program for approval or renewal. Includes issues related to the education of students with disabilities in the qualifications for a principal certification.
HB 189 Rep. Terry Canales Passed House committee Charter schools

Applies current law regarding superintendent severance payments to the CEOs of charter schools.
HB 204 Rep. Shawn Thierry Left pending

Requires that a multihazard plan include measures to ensure that school district employees, including substitutes, have classroom access to a landline phone or panic button allowing for immediate contact with emergency responders. Current law requiring access to a phone/cell phone or other communication device would apply only to junior college districts. Requires districts and charters to provide each classroom with a landline phone or panic button allowing for immediate contact with emergency responders.
HB 220 Rep. Diego Bernal Passed House committee

Creates "resource campuses" that can be designated by the commissioner to provide quality education and enrichment. An eligible campus must have received an overall rating of F for four years over a 10-year period. A designated campus is exempt from Chapter 39 accountability interventions and sanctions, and qualifies for SB 1882 funding. Prior to application for the designation, a campus must form an evaluation team including the superintendent, teachers, a community member, a parent of a student enrolled during an "F" year, and a non-teacher educator.
HB 244 Rep. Mary Gonzalez Passed House committee

Requires the commissioner to establish a competitive professional development grant program to encourage teachers to obtain computer science certification and continue professional development in coding, computational thinking, and computer science education. Grants are to be made to providers that offer professional development for elementary and middle/junior high teachers to ensure they maintain a working knowledge of current tools and resources, and that offer training for computer science certification.
HB 246 Rep. Andrew Murr Passed House committee

Clarifies the definition of "sexual contact" in the statutes regarding educator misconduct.

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