Transcript Highlights:

• The Senate Education Committee K through 16 will resume our public hearing on Senate Bill 735.
• Senate Bill 733, Senate Bill 734, and Senate Bill 735 are about Holocaust education. 180°C - 356°F for
• Similar programs offered by Texas institutions of higher education would enable the Texas Higher Education
• I worry that these creative forms of education education, which are currently offered to UT Austin undergrads
• Having the Higher Education Coordinating Board conduct this study...

Bills: SB2972, SB1909, SB2815, SB735, SB2233, SB800, SB1069, SB2683, SB2986, SB2058, SB2310, SB2055, SB1032

Keywords: expressive activities, freedom of speech, public forum, higher education, protests, student rights, antisemitism, public institutions, disciplinary policy, student organizations, compliance, institutional policy, disciplinary sanctions, diploma designation, institution merger, academic records, student options, Holocaust education, Holocaust Remembrance Week, genocide education

Transcript Highlights:

• Members, we'll get started with the Senate Committee on Education, K through 16.
• This education is more urgent than ever.
• They are made by educators for educators. in my own school said of the training.
• And I proudly serve on the Education Committee of HMMSA.
• Holocaust education doesn't happen accidentally.

Bills: SB2972, SB1909, SB2815, SB735, SB2233, SB800, SB1069, SB2683, SB2986, SB2058, SB2310, SB2055, SB1032

Keywords: expressive activities, freedom of speech, public forum, higher education, protests, student rights, antisemitism, public institutions, disciplinary policy, student organizations, compliance, institutional policy, disciplinary sanctions, diploma designation, institution merger, academic records, student options, Holocaust education, Holocaust Remembrance Week, genocide education

Transcript Highlights:

• Welcome to this meeting of the Senate Committee on Education.
• And then in Section 1.8, the Education and Economic Fund is kind of different.
• The Education and Economic Fund is kind of different.
• So it will be a subcommittee under the Interim Committee on Education.
• Hello, Senate Committee on Education. My name is Will Adler.

Bills: AB328, AB397

Keywords: Juneteenth, education, economic commission, cultural affairs, racial healing, policy recommendations, African-American studies, higher education, fee waivers, Native American students, unaccompanied youth, academic progress, Nevada System of Higher Education, 909, all

Transcript Highlights:

• It means the board of education.
• If we don't teach them... educational.
• It's just requiring your boards of education to adopt the policies.
• And, you know, I'm a big... ...and you know I'm a big proponent of education.
• I also push workforce development, but education is why... as well.

Bills: SB278, HB459, HB61

Keywords: University of South Alabama, board of trustees, education governance, state appointments, governance reforms, membership changes, home school, career and technical education, public schools, K-12 education, enrollment policy, 1136, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Okay, members, we'll get started with the Senate Committee on Education K through 16.
• Senate Bill 2847 amends the education code to provide greater flexibility and structure of core curricula
• Last session, the Texas Legislature passed historic reforms to community college funding and education
• I've worked with the members of the Higher Education Coordinating Board and the Commissioner.
• Good morning, Sarah Keaton with the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board.

Bills: SB2847, SB3039

Keywords: higher education, bachelor's degree, core curriculum, general education, semester credit hours, credit hours, degree acceleration, time to degree, workforce-aligned credentials, workforce readiness, Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, public universities, community colleges, transferability, curriculum reform, academic requirements, degree completion, transfer students, education transparency, academic credit

Transcript Highlights:

• The Senate Committee on Education K-16 will come to order. The clerk will call the roll. Creighton.
• and public institutions of higher education.
• Members, this bill relates to expressive activities at public institutions of higher education.
• Members, this bill restricts remote work by employees of public institutions of higher education.
• And with that, there being no further business to come before the committee of Senate Education K-16,

Bills: SB1224, SB2972, SB2615, SB735, SB800, SB2986, SB2310, SB2055, SB1049, SB784

Keywords: educator misconduct, reporting requirements, local law enforcement, public and private schools, penalties for non-compliance, expressive activities, freedom of speech, public forum, higher education, protests, student rights, telework, public education, employee rights, emergency provisions, Holocaust education, Holocaust Remembrance Week, antisemitism, genocide education, public schools

Transcript Highlights:

• As mandated in section 33.005, Texas Education Code.
• So, from Omidyar Intervention into Omidyar Special Education.
• I served as an elementary physical education teacher and at 18 years as a director of physical Education
• This is the education committee.
• Education has always been important to me.

Bills: HB367, HB497, HB549, HB983, HB 1188, HB 1290, HB1368, HB2243, HB2310, HB2849, HB3099, HB3546, HB3629, HB3627

Keywords: education, absences, severe illness, life-threatening, school policy, verification, healthcare, insurance, affordability, coverage, patient rights, school health, respiratory distress, airway clearance devices, medication training, public health, HB 983, Texas Education Agency, TEA, educator privacy

Transcript Highlights:

• HB 3627 in my official capacity as Chairman of the State Board of Education.
• They deserve the best education our policies can provide.
• So what I propose we do. is we take a deep dive into the education code.
• Oliverson's concern about retaining dedicated, qualified Texas as educators.
• Secretary of Education told this committee to do several years ago.

Bills: HB367, HB497, HB549, HB983, HB 1188, HB 1290, HB1368, HB2243, HB2310, HB2849, HB3099, HB3546, HB3629, HB3627

Keywords: education, absences, severe illness, life-threatening, school policy, verification, healthcare, insurance, affordability, coverage, patient rights, school health, respiratory distress, airway clearance devices, medication training, public health, HB 983, Texas Education Agency, TEA, educator privacy

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:05:21.520> rather<00:05:21.840> than support education rather than support education
• are charitable educational programs are charitable educational<00:07:07.919> gifts,<00:07:08.639
• > not<00:07:08.880> commercial educational gifts, not commercial educational gifts, not
• As I read it, we are making sure that the gift of education, long-standing education that has benefited
• , provide support in early education, provide support in early education, after<00:16:17.120>

Bills: SB3123

Keywords: conditional gifts, private education, scholarships, donor conditions, Hawaii education law, 912, senate, all

Summary: The Judiciary Committee took up three measures in decision-making. SB 2678, which would create a Judiciary working group to improve family court processes and youth access to legal representation in the child welfare system, was recommended for passage with amendments. The amendments would clarify that members with lived experience are those who have navigated the state child welfare system, replace an actively serving guardian ad litem with a former GAL, allow co-chairs to invite additional experts, and provide compensation for lived-experience members. The committee report would also recommend a $20,000 appropriation, and the motion passed without objection. SB 2528, a Campaign Spending Commission proposal to expand the partial public financing program and raise expenditure limits, was also recommended for passage with amendments and adopted without objection. The committee’s changes would increase the public-funds match to 4:1, raise the maximum public funding available to 20% for statewide executive offices and 25% for legislative and certain county offices, blank out the appropriation in the bill, and instead recommend $7.2 million in the committee report. Technical amendments would also rename the program for consistency and set the bill’s effective date to March 22, 2075. In a joint Judiciary/Education hearing, SB 3123 drew extensive testimony in support from the Governor’s office, Office of Hawaiian Affairs, the Hawaii Association of Independent Schools, Hawaiian Council, Kamehameha Schools, and many private-school and community representatives. Supporters said the bill would clarify that donor-funded scholarships, grants, and tuition-free educational programs are charitable gifts rather than contractual obligations, giving donors and schools greater certainty and preserving educational access. Some members questioned whether the bill could affect Kamehameha Schools’ admissions practices or allow schools to avoid donor conditions; witnesses responded that the measure is intended to clarify donor intent, not change admissions, and that an opt-out clause would preserve the ability to create contractual agreements if the parties choose. The discussion ended with the bill still under consideration, with no final vote reflected in the transcript excerpt.

Transcript Highlights:

• Celebrating half a century of excellence in innovation and education and research on campus. and far
• programs offered by the Texas State Technical College of Education. system and repealing the limitation
• by Wilson, relating to early registration for certain students at public institutions of higher education
• HB number 290 by Lopez-Auberre relating to assistance for tuition and fees at post-secondary educational
• What this does it gives flexibility to veterans to be able to apply for their opportunity to get educated

Bills: HJR5, HB39, HB 102, HB 126, HB290, HB300, HB1330, HB2110, HB2143, HCR64, HCR101

Keywords: education funding, Texas State Technical College System, constitutional amendment, capital projects, workforce education, military education, early registration, ROTC, corps of cadets, higher education, military academy, student athletes, name image likeness, compensation, intercollegiate athletics, representation, tuition assistance, military, Texas State Guard, education

Transcript Highlights:

• There's multiple facets of educating our youth.
• We're not going to educate them.
• The Board of Education, okay?
• that actually educates our youth in this state.
• It didn't deal with education.

Bills: SB27, SB226, SB326, SB570, SB605, SB870, SB991, SB1871, SB1872, SB1873, SB1874, SB1924, SB1925

Keywords: residency, public schools, child safety placement, enrollment, education code, antisemitism, student conduct, education, disciplinary actions, Texas Education Code, truancy, attendance policy, chronic absenteeism, school attendance, student absence notifications, parent notification, home visit, attendance officer, truancy court, school district

Summary: The committee heard a series of school safety and discipline bills, beginning with SB 870, which would codify an attorney general opinion allowing local school boards to decide whether school marshals may openly carry, conceal carry, or store a firearm in a secure safe on campus. The bill was laid out with no public testimony and left pending. The chair then moved to a combined discussion of SB 1871, 1872, 1873, 1874, and 1924, all focused on school discipline, teacher authority, and student safety. Senators Perry and Creighton described the package as a response to rising classroom disruptions, assaults on teachers, and concerns that districts lack effective tools to maintain order. SB 1871 would expand teacher removal authority, require return-to-class plans before a student removed for certain conduct can return, make some serious offenses mandatory for placement in juvenile justice settings, and provide telehealth mental health services through a consortium. SB 1872 would require expulsion to a JJAEP for assaults on teachers or school volunteers and extend certain expulsion-eligible conduct to off-campus offenses. SB 1873 would restore the prior understanding that in-school suspension is not subject to a three-day limit. SB 1874 would grant teachers immunity from disciplinary action for reporting discipline violations or acting in compliance with Chapter 37. SB 1924 would restore authority for local police and school district police to issue Class C citations for school offenses and require criminal referrals for students posing an imminent threat or assaulting a teacher, with a substitute clarifying referral rules when a citation has already been issued. The committee adopted the substitutes for the bills and moved them forward. Invited witnesses from teacher and administrator groups largely supported the overall goal of stronger discipline and safer classrooms, while asking for refinements. The Texas Classroom Teachers Association testified that teachers need more autonomy to remove disruptive or violent students and that classroom removals should not mean removal from learning. Superintendents from San Angelo, Grandview, and Wiley ISDs supported the bills’ emphasis on safety, expanded ISS flexibility, mandatory placement for serious offenses, and telehealth mental health services, but asked for more local control, flexibility for Districts of Innovation, more than one campus behavior coordinator in large districts, clearer timelines for return-to-class plans, and more precise definitions for disruptive conduct. Several witnesses stressed that teacher retention and student learning are being harmed by current discipline problems, while some members raised concerns about vague standards and the risk of overuse or public humiliation through citations and removals.

Transcript Highlights:

• Glad to know that it was the Board of Education, Senator West.
• that actually educates our youth in this state.
• Our educators want to end all students learn. All students.
• They did not receive special education services.
• We want to make sure that we get everyone educated.

Bills: SB27, SB226, SB326, SB570, SB605, SB870, SB991, SB1871, SB1872, SB1873, SB1874, SB1924, SB1925

Keywords: residency, public schools, child safety placement, enrollment, education code, antisemitism, student conduct, education, disciplinary actions, Texas Education Code, truancy, attendance policy, chronic absenteeism, school attendance, student absence notifications, parent notification, home visit, attendance officer, truancy court, school district

Bills: SB27, SB226, SB326, SB570, SB605, SB870, SB991, SB1871, SB1872, SB1873, SB1874, SB1924, SB1925

Keywords: residency, public schools, child safety placement, enrollment, education code, antisemitism, student conduct, education, disciplinary actions, Texas Education Code, truancy, attendance policy, chronic absenteeism, school attendance, student absence notifications, parent notification, home visit, attendance officer, truancy court, school district

Transcript Highlights:

• Welcome to Senate Education. Thank you.
• I had the privilege of speaking at the House Education Committee when they heard... ...at the House Education
• Code, relative to early childhood care and education.
• Code, relative to early childhood care and education; provides for the Early Childhood Care and Education
• education, to provide relative to student identification, to require the Department of Education to

Bills: HCR26, HB28, HB195, HB283, HB316, HB319, HB363, HB380, HB386, HB392, HB406, HB636, HB738, HB807, HB905, HB992, HB1146

Keywords: human growth, development education, prenatal education, state standards, biological science, teacher certification, certification appeals, BESE, State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, Teacher Certification Appeals Council, educator licensure, teaching license, teacher licensure, appeals process, certification denial, administrative appeal, special meeting, board president, retroactive application, education board

Summary: The committee met with a large docket and adopted the April 29 minutes. Several bills were heard and advanced, mostly on education, workforce, literacy, early childhood, charter schools, and student mental health. Testimony was generally supportive, with many witnesses waiving in favor; a few bills drew questions about implementation, student awareness, and whether proposals were sufficiently broad or specific. House Bill 406, requiring the Department of Education to study the direction and regulation of interscholastic high school athletics and report back by March 1, 2027, was reported favorably after testimony from a retired principal who urged an open-minded study and discussion from the bill author about compliance and the bill’s purpose. House Bill 380, creating a pilot program between community and technical colleges and local school systems to expand awareness of CDL, entry-level driver training, and related programs, was also reported favorably. House Bill 807, creating a workforce and structure capacity investment program and fund to help industry partner with colleges to train instructors, was reported favorably after support from higher education and industry witnesses; senators raised interest in adding a stronger health care component and in reaching students earlier, but the author said he would work on amendments. The committee also advanced House Bill 316 on adolescent literacy and high-dose tutoring, with amendments clarifying teacher training timing, existing statutory bans on outdated literacy practices, and charter school participation; House Bill 1146, consolidating early childhood governance into a commission; House Bill 28, creating an appeal path for denied teacher certification applicants through BESE; and House Bill 992, assigning early childhood education identification numbers to support data collection on outcomes. House Concurrent Resolution 26, urging BESE to add the science of human growth and development to science and health standards and provide approved instructional resources, was amended and reported favorably. House Bill 386, allowing local districts to let locally authorized charter schools operate as their own LEA under district rules, was amended and reported favorably. House Bill 392, expanding suicide prevention information requirements on school websites, ID cards, handbooks, and signage, was reported favorably as well.

Transcript Highlights:

• According to recent reports compiled by the education reform organization Texas Ed 911, over 11,000 educator
• An investigation of educator misconduct in the TEA data showed less than 5% of educators guilty of sexual
• In 2023, the Texas Education Agency reported over 500 investigations into inappropriate educator misconduct
• I am a product of bilingual education. I'm also a career educator with over 30 years in education.
• My master's degree is in bilingual education, and my doctorate is in educational leadership, with my

Bills: SB604, SB843, SB1636, SB2395, SB571, SB1224, SB1832, SB2392, SB747, SB2623, SB2624, SB2185

Keywords: bonds, education funding, Texas Permanent School Fund, financial transparency, speculative rating, school funding, deferred maintenance, tax revenue, education budget, school districts, education, finance, Texas Education Code, misconduct, child abuse, educators, investigation, criminal offense, education law, suspension

Transcript Highlights:

• space and I've only been in the education space nine nine years so I by no means am I an education expert
• I come from a family of educators. My wife...
• My mother-in-law, one of my daughters are all educators.
• Three educators in the same building. Committing these kinds of crimes.
• and and higher education for students with disabilities.

Bills: SB604, SB843, SB1636, SB2395, SB571, SB1224, SB1832, SB2392, SB747, SB2623, SB2624, SB2185

Keywords: bonds, education funding, Texas Permanent School Fund, financial transparency, speculative rating, school funding, deferred maintenance, tax revenue, education budget, school districts, education, finance, Texas Education Code, misconduct, child abuse, educators, investigation, criminal offense, education law, suspension

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm the LFC analyst for the higher education department, higher education institutions, and the special
• Higher education institutions.
• well in New Mexico in higher education and early childhood education.
• , and adult basic education.
• education in New Mexico.

Bills: SB37, SB29

Keywords: high-quality literacy instruction, science of reading, structured literacy, reading instruction, literacy assessment, dyslexia screening, phonics, phonemic awareness, fluency, vocabulary, comprehension, biliteracy, English language learner, ELL, bilingual education, dual language program, reading intervention, reading difficulty, reading improvement plan, literacy coach

Transcript Highlights:

• really does come down to the priorities that you've demonstrated around economic development and education
• And I know that the Higher Education Department, along with the Public Education Department and the universities
• body called the Association of the Colleges of Graduate Medical Education, and they set the standards
• for what the educational programs must have in order to be accredited.
• We are educating on safe sleep.

Bills: SB37, SB29

Keywords: high-quality literacy instruction, science of reading, structured literacy, reading instruction, literacy assessment, dyslexia screening, phonics, phonemic awareness, fluency, vocabulary, comprehension, biliteracy, English language learner, ELL, bilingual education, dual language program, reading intervention, reading difficulty, reading improvement plan, literacy coach

Transcript Highlights:

• Welcome to the first regular meeting of the Senate Education Committee.
• More teachers have gone into education the last few years.
• People watch all the good news that's coming out about education.
• And with that, we are... ...it's coming out about education.
• And with that, we are. it's coming out about education.

Bills: SB29, SB37

Keywords: SB29, math requirements for teaching license, teacher licensure, teacher endorsement, mathematics methods, elementary education, secondary education, special education, early childhood education, reciprocity, Public Education Department, Mathematics and Science Education Act, mathematics instructional leadership framework, professional learning plan, K-3 screening, mathematics screening assessment, mathematics difficulty, support plan, multilevel support, intervention

Transcript Highlights:

• It addresses physician assistant interstate licensure compact.
• ,<00:25:42.320> where program where they cross compact, where program where they cross compact
• I'm pleased to voice our support for HB 1566 and Alabama's adoption of the PA compact.
• I'm pleased to voice our support for HB 1566 and Alabama's adoption of the PA compact.
• I'm pleased to voice our support for HB 1566 and Alabama's adoption of the PA compact.

Bills: HB139, HB172, HB156

Keywords: HB139, Alabama discrimination, civil rights, public accommodations, employment discrimination, equal access, protected classes, race discrimination, sex discrimination, religious discrimination, age discrimination, disability discrimination, national origin discrimination, school board discrimination, labor organization, employment agency, retaliation, private right of action, punitive damages, attorney fees