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TexasSB 1289th Legislature Regular SessionSenate

Relating to parental rights in public education, to certain public school requirements and prohibitions regarding instruction, diversity, equity, and inclusion duties, and social transitioning, and to student clubs at public schools.

Sponsored By: Brandon Creighton (Republican), Jeff Leach

Signed by Governor

Civil Remedies & LiabilitiesDisabilities, Persons withEducation--Primary & Secondary--Charter SchoolsEducation--Primary & Secondary--CurriculumEducation--Primary & Secondary--DisciplineEducation--Primary & Secondary--FacilitiesEducation--Primary & Secondary--FinanceEducation--Primary & Secondary--Other School PersonnelEducation--Primary & Secondary--PrivateEducation--Primary & Secondary--TeachersEducation--Primary & Secondary--TextbooksEducation--School DistrictsElectronic Information SystemsFamily--Parent & ChildHealth--Privacy/Use of InformationHuman RelationsMinors--Health & SafetyBIOMETRIC IDENTIFIERS & VOICEPRINTSDISCRIMINATIONGRIEVANCE PROCEDURESLIBRARY COLLECTION DEVELOPMENT & MATERIALSPARENTAL CONSENTPARENTAL NOTIFICATIONPARENTAL RIGHTSTRANSFER STUDENTSEDUCATION AGENCY, TEXASEDUCATION, COMMISSIONER OFEDUCATION, STATE BOARD OFEDUCATOR CERTIFICATION, STATE BOARD FOR

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Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

13 provisions identified: 5 benefits, 2 costs, 6 mixed.

Schools face limits on gender-related lessons

Districts, charter schools, and their employees cannot provide lessons, guidance, activities, or programs about sexual orientation or gender identity. They also cannot allow third parties to provide them to prekindergarten–12th-grade students. Exceptions preserve protected student expression that does not materially disrupt school activities and authorized health services with required parental consent. Campus meetings remain allowed for qualifying single-sex groups whose missions do not advance a political or social agenda. The State Board of Education cannot adopt standards that violate these limits.

Parents must approve human sexuality lessons

Districts must get a parent's written consent before a student receives human sexuality instruction. The consent request must arrive at least 14 days before instruction starts. It must be separate from other notices or consent requests, except the related notice under Education Code Section 28.004(i). Parents gain an approval decision, and students without written consent cannot receive the instruction.

Parents gain clearer school complaint rights

Districts must provide complaint reviews and appeals for violations of parental rights, board policies, or education law. Procedures must bar retaliation, require conflicted reviewers to step aside, preserve records, allow supplemental claims, and provide reasoned decisions. Parents have at least 60 days after learning, or having reason to know, the facts to file. After informal resolution attempts, the deadline is the later of 90 days from that knowledge or 30 days after filing information arrives. Parents get at least 20 days to appeal; non-board hearings must occur within 10 days of filing, with decisions within 20 days afterward. Board meetings must occur within 60 days of the prior decision, with board decisions within 30 days afterward. Districts must post procedures and standard forms prominently online and in handbooks, allow online filing, and give the agency website access. On appeal, the commissioner can investigate related student privacy violations, work with federal agencies, and compel compliance. Superintendents must testify before the State Board of Education after at least five adverse commissioner findings in covered grievances during one school year. Extracurricular complaints alleging no covered violation may be excluded; federal special education claims remain unaffected.

Parents gain records and crime notices

Parents can access all written district records about their child, including library checkout records. Medical record access follows Education Code Section 38.0095. Parents are entitled to full information about school activities, subject to Section 38.004. Districts must notify parents within one school business day after an employee first suspects a crime against their child. Employees who encourage or pressure children to hide information from parents face possible discipline.

Parents gain stronger education decision rights

The law protects parents' choices about their child's moral and religious training, education, and medical or mental health treatment. Parents can choose public school, private school, or home school; this provision provides no payment or subsidy. Government interference must serve a compelling state interest through the narrowest, least restrictive means. School staff cannot limit these rights or withhold information except as other laws allow, including federal student privacy law.

Parents get more school involvement options

Districts must plan for parent involvement, support at least one parent-teacher group per school, and explain parental rights at enrollment and annually. They must offer at least two in-person parent-teacher conference opportunities each school year. Districts must provide an online comment portal, put public comments first at board meetings, and hold meetings outside typical work hours. Every class plan or syllabus must be posted online at the start of each semester. Teachers must share these materials with administrators and parents before each semester and give parents extra copies on request.

Parents receive student health service updates

The Texas Education Agency must require districts to notify parents about changes in their child's health-related services or monitoring. Schools must support parent-child discussions and cannot block record access or discourage parents' involvement in critical health decisions. Disclosure is not required when a reasonably prudent person believes it is likely to cause student abuse or neglect. Mandatory abuse reporting and investigation duties remain. State education bodies must review and revise related student-service standards by June 30, 2026; that review requirement expires September 1, 2027.

Parents control more school health activities

District employees and contractors must get signed parental consent for covered mental health exams or treatment, recordings, and health care. Consent also covers medication, medical procedures, health-information disclosures, and biometric data handling; students cannot participate without required consent. Exceptions cover legally required exams or treatment, special education, listed school recordings, and data practices authorized by law. Routine health care consent can be collected at enrollment or the year's start and lasts through that school year unless parents specify otherwise. Before the first instructional day, districts must list campus health services and explain parents' right to decline them. They must also explain covered health-data and biometric practices in plain language, including their purpose and legal authority; parents must sign and return that notice. Before giving prekindergarten–12th-grade students well-being questionnaires or health screening forms, districts must give parents copies and obtain consent.

Schools must bar social transition assistance

District boards must bar employees from helping enrolled students socially transition, including by providing information or guidelines. Parents and district employees can report suspected violations, and boards must investigate. Confirmed violations must be reported immediately to the education commissioner. Parents seeking relief must use the district grievance process.

Charter parent rights expand; exemptions narrow

Open-enrollment charter schools must follow requirements for parent engagement and access to information about students' health needs and school services. They must also follow applicable health education and local school health advisory council requirements. Districts cannot claim exemptions from educator requirements in Education Code Section 21.057, though subsection (e)'s exception remains. Beginning September 1, 2025, the amended local innovation-plan rule applies to plans adopted or renewed before, on, or after that date.

Schools must limit diversity-related staff duties

Districts cannot assign diversity, equity, and inclusion duties or allow employees, contractors, or volunteers to perform them. Activities required by state or federal law remain allowed. Listed exceptions cover antidiscrimination compliance, historically Black college recruitment, certain contracting, teaching and data activities, and race-neutral academic or postgraduate programs. Districts must distribute discipline policies for knowing or intentional violations; discipline can include termination. Employees and contractors must receive due process and an opportunity to appeal.

Frivolous school cases risk legal fees

People bringing state-law civil or administrative cases against independent school districts or their officers risk paying legal costs. An authorized decision-maker can award costs and reasonable attorney fees only if the case is frivolous, unreasonable, and without foundation. The case must also be dismissed or decided in the defendant's favor. Federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act proceedings are excluded, and the law sets no fee amount.

Schools face discipline and public certifications

Public schools, governing bodies, and employees must follow every policy that law requires schools to adopt. Districts and charter schools must set discipline procedures, including possible termination, for knowing or intentional violations of Section 28.0022 or directing others to violate it. Employees and contractors must receive paper and electronic copies. By September 30 annually, superintendents must electronically certify compliance with specified laws to the Texas Education Agency. Certification needs majority approval at a public meeting with public testimony and website notice at least seven days beforehand. It must describe required policies, procedures, and how employees and contractors received notice.

Sponsors & Cosponsors

Sponsors

  • Brandon Creighton

    Republican • Senate

  • Jeff Leach

    House

Cosponsors

  • Paul Bettencourt

    Republican • Senate

  • Brian Birdwell

    Republican • Senate

  • Donna Campbell

    Republican • Senate

  • Brent Hagenbuch

    Republican • Senate

  • Bryan Hughes

    Republican • Senate

  • Phil King

    Republican • Senate

  • Lois Kolkhorst

    Republican • Senate

  • Mayes Middleton

    Republican • Senate

  • Angela Paxton

    Republican • Senate

  • Kevin Sparks

    Republican • Senate

Roll Call Votes

All Roll Calls

Yes: 991 • No: 808

House vote • 5/31/2025

Record vote

Yes: 77 • No: 40

Senate vote • 5/31/2025

Record vote

Yes: 20 • No: 11

House vote • 5/25/2025

Record vote

Yes: 85 • No: 48

House vote • 5/25/2025

Record vote

Yes: 88 • No: 47

House vote • 5/24/2025

Record vote

Yes: 85 • No: 50

House vote • 5/24/2025

Record vote

Yes: 50 • No: 85

House vote • 5/24/2025

Record vote

Yes: 82 • No: 48

House vote • 5/24/2025

Record vote

Yes: 50 • No: 84

House vote • 5/24/2025

Record vote

Yes: 49 • No: 83

House vote • 5/24/2025

Record vote

Yes: 51 • No: 82

House vote • 5/24/2025

Record vote

Yes: 50 • No: 83

House vote • 5/24/2025

Record vote

Yes: 132 • No: 2

House vote • 5/24/2025

Record vote

Yes: 83 • No: 48

House vote • 5/24/2025

Record vote

Yes: 49 • No: 75

Senate vote • 3/19/2025

Record vote

Yes: 0 • No: 0

Senate vote • 3/19/2025

Record vote

Yes: 20 • No: 11

Senate vote • 3/19/2025

Record vote

Yes: 0 • No: 0

Senate vote • 3/19/2025

Record vote

Yes: 20 • No: 11

Actions Timeline

  1. Effective on 9/1/25

    6/20/2025House

  2. Signed by the Governor

    6/20/2025House

  3. Sent to the Governor

    6/3/2025House

  4. Signed in the House

    6/2/2025House

  5. Signed in the Senate

    6/2/2025Senate

  6. Reported enrolled

    6/1/2025Senate

  7. House adopts conf. comm. report-reported

    5/31/2025Senate

  8. Statement(s) of vote recorded in Journal

    5/31/2025House

  9. Record vote (RV#4119)

    5/31/2025House

  10. House adopts conference committee report

    5/31/2025House

  11. Point of order overruled (Rule 8,Section 1(a)(1))

    5/31/2025House

  12. Senate adopts conf. comm. report-reported

    5/31/2025House

  13. Record vote

    5/31/2025Senate

  14. Senate adopts conference committee report

    5/31/2025Senate

  15. Co-author authorized

    5/31/2025Senate

  16. Conf. Comm. Report distributed

    5/30/2025House

  17. Conference committee report filed

    5/30/2025Senate

  18. House appoints conferees-reported

    5/29/2025Senate

  19. House grants request for conf comm-reported

    5/29/2025Senate

  20. House appoints conferees

    5/29/2025House

  21. House grants request for conference committee

    5/29/2025House

  22. Senate appoints conferees-reported

    5/28/2025House

  23. Senate requests conference committee-reported

    5/28/2025House

  24. Senate refuses to concur-reported

    5/28/2025House

  25. Senate appoints conferees

    5/28/2025Senate

Bill Text

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