Relating to the reporting of certain public school employee misconduct to local law enforcement.
Impact
If passed, this legislation would amend Sections 21.006 and 22.093 of the Texas Education Code, introducing specific duties for school administrators in reporting educator misconduct. The bill signifies a shift toward a more proactive stance on accountability, where failure to report specific alleged misconduct could result in administrative penalties up to $10,000. The bill highlights the importance of timely action in matters involving potential criminal behavior by educators, fostering a culture of transparency within public schools.
Summary
House Bill 2206 centers on enhancing the accountability and transparency in addressing misconduct among public school employees. This bill mandates that school superintendents or directors must report allegations of misconduct to local law enforcement within 48 hours once they become aware of such allegations. By formalizing this requirement, HB2206 aims to ensure that serious incidents involving educators are guided through appropriate legal channels, thereby promoting a safer educational environment for students and staff alike.
Contention
While proponents of HB2206 argue that this measure is necessary to protect students and ensure that educators are held accountable for misconduct, there are concerns regarding its implementation. Critics may raise issues about the balance of responsibilities and the potential for misreporting, which could lead to unjust legal consequences for educators. Furthermore, the bill introduces the possibility of criminal charges for educators who knowingly fail to report misconduct, classifying such failures as state jail felonies, which raises ethical and legal questions about the ramifications of this additional burden on school administrators.
Texas Constitutional Statutes Affected
Education Code
Chapter 21. Educators
Section: New Section
Chapter 22. School District Employees And Volunteers
Relating to reports of certain misconduct committed by an employee of a public school, regional education service center, or shared services arrangement and a study by the Texas Education Agency regarding employee misconduct reporting mechanisms.
Relating to reports of certain misconduct engaged in by an employee of a public school, regional education service center, or shared services arrangement and a study by the Texas Education Agency regarding employee misconduct reporting mechanisms.
Relating to accelerated and supplemental instruction provided to public school students who fail to achieve satisfactory performance on certain assessment instruments and access to criminal history record information for certain tutors providing that instruction.
Relating to law enforcement misconduct and law enforcement interactions with certain detained or arrested individuals and other members of the public, to public entity liability for those interactions, and to the confinement, conviction, or release of detained or arrested individuals.
Relating to an interagency reportable conduct search engine, standards for a person's removal from the employee misconduct registry and eligibility for certification as certain Texas Juvenile Justice Department officers and employees, and the use of certain information by certain state agencies to conduct background checks.
Relating to the submission by law enforcement agencies to certain public school personnel of a handle with care notice concerning a traumatic event experienced by a public school student and to certain required training regarding those notices.
Relating to measures for ensuring safety and security in public schools, including measures related to the health and safety of public school students and active shooter training for certain peace officers.
Relating to requiring a school district or open-enrollment charter school to report data regarding certain disciplinary or law enforcement actions taken against students.
Relating to the creation of the office of inspector general for education at the Texas Education Agency to investigate the administration of public education and required reporting on misconduct by employees of certain educational entities; creating a criminal offense; increasing an administrative penalty; authorizing an administrative penalty.
Relating to the creation of the office of inspector general for education at the Texas Education Agency to investigate the administration of public education and required reporting on misconduct by employees of certain educational entities; creating a criminal offense; increasing an administrative penalty; authorizing an administrative penalty.
Relating to the creation of the office of inspector general for education at the Texas Education Agency to investigate the administration of public education and required reporting on misconduct by employees of certain educational entities; creating a criminal offense; increasing an administrative penalty; authorizing an administrative penalty.
Relating to employing, terminating, and reporting misconduct of public school personnel and related entity personnel, including creating a registry of persons ineligible for hire; creating a criminal offense.
Relating to employing, terminating, and reporting misconduct of public school personnel and related entity personnel, including creating a registry of persons ineligible for hire; creating a criminal offense.
Relating to employing, terminating, and reporting the misconduct of public school personnel and related entity personnel, including creating a registry of persons ineligible for hire; creating criminal offenses.