89R3958 JDK-D
By: Menéndez S.B. No. 197
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to training requirements for public school board of
trustees members and superintendents regarding the adoption of a
trauma-informed school standard.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 11, Education Code, is
amended by adding Section 11.004 to read as follows:
Sec. 11.004. TRAINING FOR SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS AND
SUPERINTENDENTS REGARDING TRAUMA-INFORMED SCHOOL STANDARD. (a)
Each member of the board of trustees and the superintendent of a
school district must complete an agency-approved course of
instruction regarding the adoption and administration of a
trauma-informed school standard. A course required under this
section must be completed:
(1) by a school board member, on election or
reelection; or
(2) by a superintendent, every four years.
(b) A course of instruction described by Subsection (a) must
provide information, relevant to and within the scope of the duties
of a school board member or superintendent, regarding:
(1) recognition of and care for trauma in students and
educators;
(2) the relationship between educator wellness and
student learning;
(3) the effect of trauma on student behavior and
learning;
(4) the prevalence of trauma among students, including
the prevalence of trauma among student populations at higher risk
of experiencing trauma;
(5) the effects of implicit or explicit bias on
recognizing trauma among various racial or ethnic groups of
students; and
(6) effective district and campus policies and
practices shown to:
(A) prevent and mitigate the negative effect of
trauma on student behavior and learning; and
(B) support the emotional wellness of educators.
(c) A school district shall submit for agency approval any
course of instruction identified by the district as satisfying the
requirements of Subsection (b).
(d) The agency may approve both in-person and online courses
of instruction to satisfy the requirements of this section,
including courses provided by community-based nonprofit
organizations with expertise concerning trauma-informed school
standards.
(e) The State Board of Education shall propose rules that
allow:
(1) a school board member to satisfy the training
requirements under Section 11.159 for completion of the training
required under this section; and
(2) a superintendent to receive credit toward the
superintendent's continuing education requirements under Section
21.054 for completion of the training required under this section.
SECTION 2. Not later than December 1, 2025, the Texas
Education Agency shall approve one or more courses of instruction
to satisfy the training requirements of Section 11.004, Education
Code, as added by this Act.
SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
Act takes effect September 1, 2025.