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School Safety 89th Legislative Updates

Overview 

The 89th Regular Legislative Session concluded on June 2, 2025. This To the Administrator Addressed (TAA) communication provides information regarding enacted legislation related to school safety. These bills will significantly improve school safety initiatives across the State of Texas. 

House Bill 2

The School Safety Allotment was modified by House Bill 2, transferred to Subchapter D (from Subchapter C), and redesignated as Section 48.160, Education Code. Funding components of the School Safety Allotment were increased from $10 per ADA and $15,000 per eligible campus to $20 per ADA and $33,540 per eligible campus. The per-student funding component is further increased to $21.10 per ADA, tied to an additional increase of $1 for each student in ADA per every $50 by which the district's maximum Basic Allotment exceeds $6,160. These funding adjustments are being applied automatically moving forward.

House Bill 2 also requires timely notification to all teaching staff, including aides, who may be directly affected by a campus-level threat.

House Bill 6

House Bill 6 requires a campus behavior coordinator to report to the Safe and Supportive Schools Program team any student who engages in conduct that contains the elements of terroristic threat, unlawfully carrying a weapon, prohibited weapons, or exhibiting, using, or threatening to use a firearm. Additionally, the behavior coordinator must report concerning student behaviors or behavioral trends that may pose a serious risk of violence to the student or others.

If a student in a special education program is the subject of a threat assessment, the team conducting the assessment must include a person who has knowledge of student disabilities and how disabilities manifest.  Please see House Bill 121 (below) for additional information.

House Bill 6 also removes time limits related to in-school suspension, provided there is an administrative review conducted every ten (10) school days after the in-school-suspension begins to ensure educational progress and to determine whether continued suspension is appropriate. Out-of-school suspensions are still limited to a maximum of three days.

House Bill 33

House Bill 33 enhances existing school safety requirements for schools across Texas, to include:

• Multihazard emergency operation plans (EOPs) must provide for measures to ensure the use of standardized response protocol terminology to better facilitate communication between law enforcement, emergency services, district employees, and the public.
• When a school system constructs, acquires, renovates, or improves a facility, it must conduct a security review as soon as practicable to ensure that safety and security requirements are met.
• Each school system must have at least one breaching tool and one ballistic shield available for use at each campus. 
• School systems are required to employ or appoint a public information officer who must obtain certification from the Texas Division of Emergency Management within one year of hiring or appointment. Continuing education is required annually.
• The sheriff of a county with a total population of 350,000 or more in which a school system is located must call and conduct an annual school safety meeting.
• Requires law enforcement training on incident response and command.

Additional information regarding specific requirements of House Bill 33 will be the subject of future communications.

House Bill 121

House Bill 121 adds clarification to existing school safety requirements for schools across Texas, to include:

• Districts must review and renew any good cause exception for armed security annually.
• Emergency operations plans (EOPs) must address prevention, mitigation, preparedness, response, reunification, and recovery.
• House Bill 121 adds EOP provisions for ensuring the safety of students, staff, and spectators during extracurricular activities. Statute requires the standards to be established by ÁñÁ«ÊÓÆÁ. Additional information regarding this provision will be the subject of future communications.
• If a student in a special education program is the subject of a behavioral threat assessment, the team conducting the assessment must include at least one of the following persons who has specific knowledge of the student’s disability and the disability’s manifestations: a special education teacher who instructs the student, a licensed behavior analyst, a licensed clinical or master social worker, or a licensed specialist in school psychology (House Bill 6 provides that an educational diagnostician or a behavior specialist may  be included on the team.)
• A school system’s emergency response mapping must be provided to every applicable emergency service district.
• The sheriff of a county with a total population of less than 350,000 in which a school system is located must conduct a school safety meeting at least twice each calendar year, not less than three months apart.

Senate Bill 57

Senate Bill 57 enhances mandatory drill requirements, as outlined in and related 19 Texas Administrative Code, §103.1209, by ensuring accommodations are in place for a student with an individualized education program (IEP) or a 504 plan during a mandatory school drill. Additional information regarding this provision will be the subject of future communications.

Additionally, Senate Bill 57 outlines the composition of School Safety and Security Committee members to include a superintendent designee who is an administrator of special education. 

Senate Bill 546

Senate Bill 546 requires school systems to submit the estimated cost to equip three-point seat belts on each bus operated by and/or contracted for use by the school system. Additional information regarding this future data collection will be the subject of future communications.

Senate Bill 870

Senate Bill 870 requires a school district or open-enrollment charter school to include specific written regulations related to school marshals and requirements for concealed carry or openly carrying a handgun while wearing a uniform that identifies the marshal as a school marshal.

Senate Bill 838 (88R Legislative Session)

Senate Bill 838 from the 88(R) legislative session, codified as Texas Education Code (TEC), §37.117, is effective with the 2025-2026 school year. Each school system classroom must have silent panic alert technology that allows for immediate contact with district or school emergency services and emergency services agencies, law enforcement agencies, health departments, and fire departments.

19 Texas Administrative Code, Â§103.1213, Required Reporting through Sentinel

As a reminder, in accordance with Commissioner’s rule, each school system shall report the following information through Sentinel:

• Behavior Threat Assessments (BTAs)
• District Vulnerability Assessments (DVAs)
• Emergency Management
• Intruder Detection Audits (IDAs)

Effective August 1, 2025, when conducting a BTA under TEC, §37.115, members of a threat assessment team shall utilize the threat assessment instrument, manual, and field guide in Sentinel. 

Effective August 1, 2025, school systems shall utilize Sentinel to securely transfer under TEC, §25.036, any threat assessment conducted on a student to a receiving school system when a student transfers to a new school district. All BTAs for a student are subject to the transfer requirement. Any BTAs conducted prior to August 1, 2025, that are associated with a student transfer shall be uploaded into Sentinel in a manner determined by ÁñÁ«ÊÓÆÁ.

Additional Resources and Questions 

• 19 Texas Administrative Code, §103.1213

If you have any questions, please contact the Office of School Safety and Security by emailing SafeSchools@tea.texas.gov.