Texas Senate Bill SB 2564

Texas 2025 - 89th Regular

• Filed: 3/13/25

Caption

Relating to the provision of information regarding certain public assistance programs by public schools.

Summary

SB 2564 would require each public school district and open-enrollment charter school to provide students and parents, at enrollment and annually thereafter, information about eligibility requirements for certain public assistance programs. The programs specifically identified are Medicaid, the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Schools could provide the information in whatever format they determine appropriate. The bill also directs the Health and Human Services Commission, working with the Texas Education Agency, to create and distribute a model form in both physical and electronic formats for schools to use. The measure would apply beginning with the 2025-2026 school year, with an immediate effective date only if it receives the constitutionally required two-thirds vote in each chamber; otherwise, it would take effect September 1, 2025.

Impact

The bill would add a new Section 38.045 to the Texas Education Code, creating an affirmative duty for public schools and charter schools to distribute public-assistance eligibility information to families. It would not change eligibility rules for Medicaid, CHIP, or SNAP, but it would require schools to serve as a distribution point for state-prepared information and would involve HHSC and TEA in developing standardized materials. The practical effect would be to increase outreach to potentially eligible families and expand the role of schools in connecting students and parents with health and nutrition assistance programs.

Sentiment

Based on the bill text and the absence of recorded committee debate or votes in the provided materials, the measure appears straightforward and administrative in nature, with an emphasis on outreach and access rather than controversy. The bill’s framing suggests a generally supportive policy goal of helping families learn about benefits they may qualify for. No formal opposition, amendments, or recorded vote history are available in the provided context.

Contention

No specific points of contention are documented in the provided committee transcripts or vote history. Potential areas of debate, if raised, would likely center on whether schools should be required to distribute social-service information, the administrative burden on districts and charter schools, and whether the state should use schools as a channel for benefit outreach. However, none of those concerns are attributed to any named legislator or stakeholder in the materials provided.