Relating to notice to local law enforcement of certain offenses occurring on public or private school property or at school-sponsored or school-related activities; providing a civil penalty.
SB 2392 amends Section 37.015 of the Education Code to expand and clarify when principals of public and private primary and secondary schools must notify law enforcement about serious incidents occurring on school property or at school-sponsored or school-related activities. The bill requires notice for a broad set of conduct, including certain offenses involving weapons, drugs, terroristic threats, deadly conduct, organized criminal activity, sexual offenses, trafficking-related offenses, and other crimes that may lead to expulsion or constitute serious felonies. It also requires immediate notice once the principal or designee becomes aware of the conduct, and adds a duty for the school’s chief administrative officer to notify law enforcement if the principal fails to do so.
The bill adds a civil enforcement mechanism: if required notice is not made within 48 hours, the principal, designee, or chief administrative officer becomes liable to the state for a $1,000 civil penalty for each day the failure continues. The attorney general is authorized to sue to collect the penalty, and school officials may not use state or local school funds to pay it. The bill applies only to conduct occurring on or after September 1, 2025, and repeals existing subsection 37.015(c) as part of the restructuring of the reporting requirements.
SB 2392 would strengthen and expand mandatory reporting obligations in Texas Education Code Section 37.015 for both public and private schools, increasing the number of offenses that trigger notice to police, sheriffs, or school district police departments. It creates a direct enforcement backstop through civil penalties and attorney general collection authority, while shifting some responsibility from principals to chief administrative officers if reporting is not completed. The bill affects school administrators, school districts, private schools, and local law enforcement agencies, and it limits the use of school funds to satisfy any penalty assessed under the statute.
The bill appears to have received generally favorable legislative support, as reflected by its passage on third reading in the Senate with a 29-2 vote after suspension of the three-day rule. The available context does not include committee testimony, but the strong floor vote suggests broad agreement with the bill’s goal of improving school safety reporting and law enforcement notification. The bill later advanced in the House and was placed on the General State Calendar, indicating continued legislative momentum.
The main point of contention is likely the bill’s expansion of mandatory reporting and the addition of a daily civil penalty, which could be viewed by some school officials as creating significant administrative and financial pressure. Requiring principals, designees, and chief administrative officers to report within a short timeframe, and allowing the attorney general to enforce compliance, may raise concerns about liability, due process, and the practical ability of schools to determine whether conduct falls within the covered offenses. The narrow 29-2 Senate vote suggests that while the bill had strong support, a small number of senators may have objected to the enforcement mechanism or the breadth of the reporting mandate.