After nearly five months meeting in Austin, the Texas Legislature wrapped up its 89th session on Monday.
Once again, education was a huge topic at the statehouse this year. From passing a billion dollar school voucher plan to a sweeping school funding bill, lawmakers made some big moves that will affect public education in Texas for years to come.
But there were also many other consequential education-related bills lawmakers passed in addition to the marquee legislation. Barring a veto from Gov. Greg Abbott, these will soon become law in Texas.
Here's a breakdown of some of those measures.
Senate Bill 568 - Increasing special education funding
Senate Bill 568 creates a new system that ties special education funding directly to the intensity of services students require.
The bill also adds a $125 million investment for staffing and expands support for transportation of special education students.
Sen. Paul Bettencourt, a Houston Republican, authored the bill and says the goal is to ensure equitable support for students with disabilities statewide.
"I could go on and on but that is the key thing: you wanna be able to get evaluations for special needs children early on so there can be early intervention," Bettencourt said.
The measure passed out of both chambers unanimously and now heads to the governor's desk for final approval.
If signed, this would impact more than 700,000 Texas students receiving special education services.
– Lucio Vasquez, The Texas Newsroom
Senate Bill 13 - More oversight for school libraries
Over the weekend, the Texas Legislature gave Senate Bill 13 a final sendoff to the governor's desk.
The proposal, introduced by McKinney Republican Sen. Angela Paxton, would empower school boards to decide which books are permitted in their school libraries. It would also allow parents to submit a list of books their children are prohibited from checking out.
Supporters say it'll keep inappropriate books out of kids' hands. But Rep. Vikki Goodwin, an Austin Democrat, voted against the bill, saying it could "break and dismantle" libraries in their communities.
"We do need to protect our kids from pornography and inappropriate content. But this bill is overreach and unnecessary," Goodwin said. "Our local school districts have created their own book policies."
Though the chambers had some disagreements around SB 13, they were ultimately able to work them out in a conference committee.
Unless Abbott vetoes the measure, it would go into effect next school year.
– Nina Banks, The Texas Newsroom
Senate Bill 12 - Ban on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in K-12 schools
Sen. Brandon Creighton, who authored SB 12, calls it a "parental rights bill," giving parents more control over school curriculums and programs.
It bans DEI in hiring decisions, training and duties and prohibits student groups centered around sexual orientation or gender identity.
House Education Committee Chair Brad Buckley, a Republican from Killeen, says the bill lets kids be kids, adding that "they have way more in common than they have in differences."
"We want to return that so that children can gather together in things that are community minded where they can share experiences together throughout their school year," Buckley said.
Opponents, including North Texas Rep. Chris Turner, say SB 12 targets Black and Latino kids, and bans school groups like the Gay-Straight Alliance, all with approval from the state.
"That same government is going to say to high school kids 'you cannot be in a club with people like you. Think how wrong that is," Turner said.
SB 12 now heads to the governor for his signature. Unless Abbott vetoes the bill, which seems unlikely, the law will take effect Sept. 1.
– Bill Zeeble, KERA News
House Bill 1481 - Limits on personal communication devices in school
HB 1481 bans K-12 students from using cellphones in school. The policy also requires schools to have disciplinary actions set up for students who break the rules.
Rep. Caroline Fairly, an Amarillo Republican, authored the bill. She said she wanted to create a distraction free environment for students in the state's public schools.
When Fairly introduced the bill for its second reading, emphasized that the policy still gives schools flexibility.
"HB 1481, it is a bill that prohibits smart devices from being out during school hours while also maintaining local control," Fairly told members of the chamber.
That local control means that, under the law, school districts can decide where students can store their phones while in class. Options include secure pouches, lockers, charging stations or backpacks.
The bill had bipartisan support from lawmakers, but critics have voiced concerns about student safety. They have argued that, in an emergency, students should be able to access their phones to call for help.
The bill is on the way to the governor's desk.
If approved, the law would go into effect Sept. 1, paving the way for Texas to join several other states that already have similar policies, including California, Florida, Minnesota, Ohio and Louisiana.
– Sarah Asch, Texas Standard
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