This Week in the Legislature: The Final Stretch of the 89th Session 

As we enter the final days of the 89th regular session of the Texas Legislature, the clock is ticking. Key deadlines are fast approaching or have passed ahead of Sine Die, the last day of session, on June 2. Bills that have passed both chambers must avoid amendments that force conference committees or non-concurrences, and anything still in committee is dead. Sunday, June 1, is the last day for the House to either adopt conference committee reports (CCRs) or discharge House conferees and concur in Senate amendments.  

Here’s where the most critical education bills stand, what they do, and what needs to happen next. 

House Bill 2: Teacher & Staff Pay, School Funding

What It Does:

• $4.2 billion for teacher and staff raises
• $500 million for support staff and paraprofessional raises
• $1.3 billion “Allotment for Basic Costs” (ABC) to offset insurance, utilities & TRS contributions
• $2.2 billion for early literacy & CTE programs
• $850 million for special education & student evaluations
• $200 million for charter facility funding (Texas AFT opposes this)

Our Position: The House should concur with Senate amendments. The new allotments will require our continued advocacy at the local level to make sure educators and support staff get the money they deserve.  

Status: The House has concurred with the final version passed by the Senate. This bill is on its way to the governor’s desk.  

Next Steps: Wait for the governor’s signature! In the meantime, you can see how your specific ISD will fare under HB 2 using this tool.  

House Bill 4: Accountability and Assessment Reform 

What it Does: HB 4 proposes a major overhaul of the state’s assessment and accountability system. It replaces STAAR testing with a series of assessments throughout the school year to measure student growth. It also adds some guardrails on the commissioner’s authority to modify and implement performance levels and indicators in the state accountability system.  

Our Position: Cautious support. While the move away from a single summative assessment like STAAR is a step forward, we are concerned about implementation details, lack of educator input, and continued high-stakes consequences for schools. 

Status: The House and Senate passed substantially different versions, and the House has (thankfully) refused to concur with the Senate’s changes. A conference committee has been named with members of both chambers, and this morning, Texas AFT delivered letters with priorities from our members for the negotiations:  

Next Steps: Advocate for a final version closer to the bill that passed the House that centers student learning, allows optional local accountability indicators, and removes punitive measures. Send an email to conferees ASAP.  

House Bill 6 (2025): School Discipline and Student Safety 

What it Does: Senate amendments to HB 6 makes several critical changes to student discipline law, some of which represent wins for equity and student rights: 

• Removes the provision that allowed civil court injunctions (Honig orders) for temporary alternative placements — protecting students with disabilities and marginalized groups. 
• Eliminates court orders to enforce parent participation in behavioral agreements, keeping school discipline within educational institutions. 
• Changes mandatory placement in Disciplinary Alternative Education Program (DAEP) for vaping to a discretionary action for the first offense. 
• Requires comparable educational services for students under in-school suspension, including access to technology, internet, and an instructor. 
• Adds guardrails for out-of-school suspensions of pre-K to third-grade students, requiring documentation and repeated or significant disruption. 
• Allows virtual DAEP placement only when no Juvenile Justice Alternative Education Program (JJAEP) alternative exists. 
• Requires threat assessment teams to include a staff member with knowledge of a student’s disability if the student receives special education services. 

Our Position: Support, with vigilance. This bill marks a return to older punitive policies. Despite the late improvements to the legislation that bring more balance between educator and student needs, we must ensure districts implement them fairly. 

Status: The House voted to concur with Senate changes on Wednesday and will be sent to the governor.  

Next Steps: Monitor implementation. Texas AFT will provide guidance to members locally on how these changes affect campus practices. 

Senate Bill 10: Ten Commandments in Classrooms 

What it Does: SB 10 says that all public elementary and secondary schools must display the Ten Commandments in every classroom though no state funding is provided. School may use school funds to purchase these posters. The bill specifies size and formatting requirements for the posters and the specific language to be used. If a school does not already have posters, the bill requires schools to accept privately donated posters as long as no other content is included. 

Our Position: Oppose. This bill violates the constitutional separation of church and state and could create unnecessary division in diverse public schools. 

Status: The Senate voted to concur on Wednesday, and the bill is now on its way to the governor. 

Next Steps: On Thursday, the American Civil Liberties Union of Texas, the national ACLU, Americans United for Separation of Church and State, and Freedom from Religion Foundation announced that they plan to sue over SB 10. 

Senate Bill 11: Periods of Prayer in Public Schools 

What it Does: SB 11 requires school districts to vote on a policy to allow students and staff a daily period of prayer or time to read a religious text during the school day. It requires a consent form that includes an express waiver of a person’s right to sue.  

Our Position: Opposed. SB 11 violates the constitutional separation of church and state and could create unnecessary division in diverse public schools. It would harm the learning environment by creating situations when opting out could make students feel singled out or excluded.   

Status: Sent to the governor.  

Next Steps: Advocate alongside parents, students, and community members at the school board level against adoption of this policy that would harm the learning environment and alienate students.  

Senate Bill 12: Parental Rights Expansion, at a Cost 

What it Does: SB 12 expands parental rights in public education by granting parents increased access to instructional materials and school records, requiring districts to post curriculum content online, and formalizing a process for lodging and resolving complaints.  

However, the bill also prohibits school personnel from performing “duties” or implementing policies related to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), broadly defined to include activities referencing race, ethnicity, gender identity, or sexual orientation. It also requires school districts to adopt disciplinary procedures, including termination, for employees who violate this or the state’s “anti-CRT” law. 

Our Position: Opposed. While transparency is essential, it comes at a steep cost in the bill. SB 12 opens the door for micromanagement and further censorship of curriculum and speech regarding important topics like student mental health and identity, potentially undermining professional educators and inclusive practices. 

Status: A conference committee between the two chambers arrived at a final version of the bill, which was approved by the House and Senate. It heads to the governor. 

Next Steps: Advocate in the interim between legislative sessions for guardrails that protect professional discretion, safeguard inclusive content, and prevent the targeting of marginalized student groups. 

Senate Bill 13: School Library Oversight 

What It Does: SB 13 overhauls school library policies across Texas by requiring school boards to adopt specific procedures for reviewing and approving library materials. It limits access to books deemed “sexually explicit” and creates a statewide system for rating library content. The bill also mandates more parental involvement in library acquisitions and gives the Texas Education Agency authority to enforce compliance. 

Our Position: Opposed. The bill invites censorship, undermines educator expertise, and threatens access to diverse and inclusive reading materials for students. 

Status: SB 13 passed the House, but the Senate has refused to concur with its changes. The bill will go to a conference committee to negotiate a final version. As of this writing, only the Senate has named its conferees:  

• Sen. Angela Paxton (chair) 
• Sen. Paul Bettencourt 
• Sen. César Blanco 
• Sen. Brandon Creighton 
• Sen. Tan Parker 

Next Steps: Regardless of what the final version of this bill looks like, litigation can be expected. A similar bill related to book vendors that was passed in 2023 remains tied up in court on a First Amendment challenge.