A newly formed Senate K-16 Education Committee convened this week to take up a range of education-related bills, each addressing core issues such as parental rights, academic transparency, and district accountability. Over the course of six hours of testimony, debate, and discussion, lawmakers reviewed multiple pieces of legislation that could significantly reshape Texas public education.
Parental Consent and Psychological Testing
Leading the discussion was Sen. Lois Kolkhorst (R-Brenham), who presented Senate Bill (SB) 400, requiring parental consent before schools conduct psychological testing on students. A committee substitute clarified that casual check-ins by teachers or counselors—such as simply asking a student how they are doing—would not be considered formal psychological assessments.
Without objection, the committee adopted the substitute to SB 400.
Expanding Access to Student Records
Next, lawmakers considered SB 112, authored by Sen. Bob Hall (R-Edgewood). The bill aims to expand parental rights by ensuring parents have unrestricted access to all student records, including digital and electronic documents.
Hall also proposed a provision requiring school districts to obtain written parental consent before administering well-being questionnaires, health screenings, or psychological evaluations.
SB 112 was left pending in committee.
Parental Rights in the Texas Constitution
Sen. Angela Paxton (R-McKinney) introduced Senate Joint Resolution (SJR) 12, which seeks to elevate parental rights by incorporating them into the Texas Constitution’s Bill of Rights.
“This bill does not alter, remove, or create new parental rights in Texas law,” Paxton explained. “It simply makes existing parental rights a formal part of the Texas Constitution.”
While the resolution was not put to a vote, it remains under consideration.
School Choice and Open Transfers
Paxton also presented SB 686, which would allow public school students to transfer to any other public school with available capacity. A key provision of the bill ensures that no tuition or fees would be charged for these transfers.
Paxton argued that the bill would provide more flexibility for families and remove barriers that prevent students from accessing better educational opportunities.
SB 686 was left pending in committee.
Creating a Parental Rights Handbook
To centralize and clarify parental rights, Paxton introduced SB 204, which directs the Texas Education Agency (TEA) to develop a plain-language, searchable online handbook outlining these rights. The bill also requires school board members to receive training on parental rights.
A committee substitute aligning the bill’s timeline with the State Board of Education’s meeting cycle was presented and unanimously adopted.
Holding School Districts Accountable
Paxton also laid out SB 609, which closes a loophole that allowed school districts to adopt state-mandated policies without enforcing them.
“Some school districts exploit an inadvertent loophole and circumvent the will of the legislature,” Paxton stated. SB 609 was left pending.
Parental Opt-In for Sex Education
Sen. Donna Campbell (R-New Braunfels) reintroduced SB 371, which would make the parental opt-in requirement for sex education permanent. The bill is a refiled version of SB 1083, which passed the Senate last session but stalled in the House.
SB 371 was left pending.
Banning DEI in Public Schools
A major point of contention arose with SB 1565, introduced by Sen. Brandon Creighton (R-Conroe), which seeks to ban Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs in K-12 public schools.
“This legislation is a direct response to growing concerns from parents across the state,” Creighton explained. “School districts are spending millions of taxpayer dollars on DEI initiatives that divide students rather than treating them as individuals.”
Gov. Greg Abbott has made eliminating DEI a priority, stating in his State of the State address that the legislature must “purge DEI from every corner” of Texas schools.
During the hearing, Sen. Royce West (D-Houston) raised concerns about the legislation’s scope. “There’s gonna be a lot of persons trying to implement it at a school district level, and so there’s gonna be people that go too far, people who don’t go far enough,” he said.
The bill also sparked debate over whether it would ban faculty sponsors of diversity-related student groups. Creighton responded that they are still refining the language but confirmed teachers would not be allowed to participate in or sponsor DEI efforts.
SB 1565 was left pending in committee.
Reforming the Grievance Process
Sen. Bryan Hughes introduced SB 813, which proposes a new regional grievance board system to handle complaints when local resolution fails. These boards would be aligned with Texas' existing education service center regions.
SB 813 was left pending.
Texas Parental Bill of Rights
The final bill of the session, SB 12, was dubbed the “Texas Parental Bill of Rights.” Presented by Sen. Creighton, the legislation reinforces parents’ primary role in their children’s education, moral upbringing, and religious instruction.
Key provisions of SB 12 include:
Banning DEI-related responsibilities for school employees.
Prohibiting hiring practices that promote “differential treatment” based on race, sex, color, or ethnicity.
Requiring school districts to certify compliance with the DEI ban or face financial and administrative penalties.
Restricting instruction on sexual orientation or gender identity for students Pre-K–12.
Mandating written parental consent for human sexuality education.
The bill was adopted in committee and is expected to face further debate on the Senate floor.
What’s Next?
Dubbed the “education session”, this legislative period has seen a flood of education bills moving swiftly through committees. With heated debates on parental rights, DEI bans, and school choice, these bills are poised to ignite further discussion when they reach the full Senate floor.
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