Texas 2025 - 89th Regular

Texas Senate Bill SB1832 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

Old	New		Differences
1	1		By: Parker, Middleton S.B. No. 1832
	2	+	(In the Senate - Filed March 3, 2025; March 13, 2025, read
	3	+	first time and referred to Committee on Education K-16;
	4	+	April 14, 2025, reported favorably by the following vote: Yeas 8,
	5	+	Nays 2; April 14, 2025, sent to printer.)
	6	+	Click here to see the committee vote
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6	11		A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
7	12		AN ACT
8	13		relating to providing for an election by the parent of a student who
9	14		was victimized by a public school employee to transfer the student
10	15		to another public school campus or receive funding for the student
11	16		to attend private school.
12	17		BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
13	18		SECTION 1. Chapter 38, Education Code, is amended by adding
14	19		Subchapter K to read as follows:
15	20		SUBCHAPTER K. PROTECTIONS FOR STUDENTS VICTIMIZED BY SCHOOL
16	21		EMPLOYEES
17	22		Sec. 38.551. SCHOOL CHOICE. The parent of an eligible
18	23		student may elect for the student to:
19	24		(1) be transferred to another school district campus
20	25		as provided by Section 38.553; or
21	26		(2) receive funding for the cost of educating the
22	27		student in a private school, including a home school, as provided by
23	28		Section 38.554.
24	29		Sec. 38.552. ELIGIBILITY. (a) A student is eligible for
25	30		purposes of this subchapter if:
26	31		(1) the student is enrolled in a school district; and
27	32		(2) an employee of the school district in which the
28	33		student is enrolled:
29	34		(A) is convicted of or placed on deferred
30	35		adjudication community supervision for an offense committed
31	36		against the student;
32	37		(B) is the subject of a report under Section
33	38		21.006 or 22.093 on the basis of evidence that the employee engaged
34	39		in misconduct described by the applicable section with the student;
35	40		or
36	41		(C) engages in child grooming against the student
37	42		by, with the intent that an offense under Chapter 43, Penal Code, or
38	43		an offense involving sexual activity, the occurrence of which would
39	44		subject the employee to criminal liability under Chapter 20A, 21,
40	45		or 22, Penal Code, be committed, knowingly persuading, inducing,
41	46		enticing, or coercing, or attempting to persuade, induce, entice,
42	47		or coerce, the student to engage in specific conduct that, under the
43	48		circumstances surrounding the employee's conduct as the employee
44	49		believes them to be, would:
45	50		(i) constitute an offense under Chapter 43,
46	51		Penal Code, or an offense involving sexual activity the occurrence
47	52		of which would subject the employee to criminal liability under
48	53		Chapter 20A, 21, or 22, Penal Code; or
49	54		(ii) make the student a party to the
50	55		commission of an offense described by Subparagraph (i).
51	56		(b) A student may participate in the school choice program
52	57		under Section 38.551 until the earliest of the following dates:
53	58		(1) the date on which the student graduates from high
54	59		school; or
55	60		(2) the date on which the student is no longer eligible
56	61		to attend a public school under Section 25.001.
57	62		Sec. 38.553. TRANSFER. (a) On request of the parent of an
58	63		eligible student, the board of trustees of the school district in
59	64		which the student is enrolled shall transfer the student to:
60	65		(1) another district campus; or
61	66		(2) a neighboring school district, if there is only
62	67		one campus in the district serving the grade level in which the
63	68		student is enrolled.
64	69		(b) A transfer under this section must be to a campus or
65	70		school district, as applicable, agreeable to the student's parent.
66	71		(c) Section 25.034 does not apply to a transfer under this
67	72		section.
68	73		(d) A school district is not required to provide
69	74		transportation to a student who transfers to another campus or
70	75		school district under this section.
71	76		Sec. 38.554. PRIVATE SCHOOL FUNDING. (a) If the parent of
72	77		an eligible student elects for the student to enroll in a private
73	78		school, including a home school, the parent is entitled to receive
74	79		from the state an annual amount equal to the amount to which the
75	80		school district in which the student resides would be entitled to
76	81		receive for the student under Chapter 48 if the student were
77	82		enrolled in the district.
78	83		(b) Money received under this section may be used only for
79	84		the following educational expenses of the student:
80	85		(1) the payment of tuition and fees at a private school
81	86		accredited by an organization that is recognized by the Texas
82	87		Private School Accreditation Commission; or
83	88		(2) the purchase of a curriculum, instructional
84	89		materials, or other educational items required for homeschooling,
85	90		as provided by commissioner rule.
86	91		(c) A payment under Subsection (a) may not be financed using
87	92		federal money or money appropriated from the available school fund.
88	93		(d) A private school selected by the parent of an eligible
89	94		student for the student to attend may not be required to comply with
90	95		any state law or rule governing the school's educational program
91	96		that was not in effect on January 1, 2025.
92	97		Sec. 38.555. RULES. The commissioner shall adopt rules as
93	98		necessary to implement this subchapter, including rules to prevent
94	99		fraud or abuse.
95	100		SECTION 2. This Act applies beginning with the 2025-2026
96	101		school year.
97	102		SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
98	103		a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
99	104		provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
100	105		Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
101	106		Act takes effect September 1, 2025.
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