Monitoring the Session

HB 1551

bill requiring parent notice when school employees are charged

Did not pass

Verdict: No flags

No flagsInitial review
Rep. Hillary HicklandRHouse 55

Initial review · graded Oct 20, 2026 · Headline, summary and grade are analysis of the bill text, not a finding about any person · How we grade

Caption

relating to the notification of parents of students enrolled in public school regarding certain alleged criminal conduct by an employee.

Caption from analyzed text · version I.

Summary

Notice within two school days of learning of the charge.

The bill requires a school district or charter school to notify parents within two school days after learning that an employee has been charged with certain offenses listed in an existing criminal procedure article. The notice goes to the parents of every student at that employee's campus and must give the employee's name, position, employment status and length of service, the charged offense, and a statement that the person is presumed innocent. Schools may add facts but may not name the alleged victim, and the education commissioner must write rules for notices during school closures, starting with the 2025-2026 school year.

Labels

Labels: STALLED AFTER COMMITTEE. Voted out of the House Public Education committee 12-0 on May 6, 2025. Placed on the General State Calendar on May 14, 2025. The bill died.

Receipt

The receipt

89R-HB1551 · 2024-12-09

SOLD BY

Rep. Hillary HicklandRHouse 55

+ 6 coauthors

ITEM

relating to the notification of parents of students enrolled in public school regarding certain alleged criminal conduct by an employee.

WHAT IT DOES

Notice within two school days of learning of the charge.

The bill requires a school district or charter school to notify parents within two school days after learning that an employee has been charged with certain offenses listed in an existing criminal procedure article. The notice goes to the parents of every student at that employee's campus and must give the employee's name, position, employment status and length of service, the charged offense, and a statement that the person is presumed innocent. Schools may add facts but may not name the alleged victim, and the education commissioner must write rules for notices during school closures, starting with the 2025-2026 school year.

CHARGES

[ ] NONE FOUND

TOTAL

No fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

LBB estimate · fiscal note version H · source

Sources

Fiscal note · version H · May 10, 2025

No first-year general revenue figure available here.

LBB published estimates · flow over the stated periods.

Source snapshot 2026-10-19, Central time.

HISTORY

  1. Filed
  2. Read first time
  3. Referred to Public Education
  4. Scheduled for public hearing on . . .
  5. Considered in public hearing
  6. Committee substitute considered in committee
  7. Testimony taken/registration(s) recorded in committee
  8. Left pending in committee
  9. Considered in public hearing
  10. Committee substitute considered in committee
  11. Reported favorably as substituted
  12. Comte report filed with Committee Coordinator
  13. Committee report distributed
  14. Committee report sent to Calendars
  15. Considered in Calendars
  16. Placed on General State Calendar
FILED UNDER

No verified beat found.

No flags

THANK YOU FOR CHECKING THE RECEIPT

CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY

CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY

Hillary Hickland

Donors

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC$310KTexas Conservative Majority PAC$135KCourt Reform Action for Families Texas PAC$25K

Not tied to this bill.

Sources

The author's campaign account only. Own money and internal transfers are separate on the member page.

Derived itemized flow · Oct 31, 2024 to Oct 24, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC$310,226.49

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC

$310,226.49

Cash
$50,000.00
Paid by others
$260,226.49
Total
$310,226.49
mail $134,060.64advertising $105,955.50polling $20,210.35

Also funds 124 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jul 10, 2024 to Oct 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team
Sources

Derived itemized flow · Jun 30, 2025 to Oct 15, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.

Report IDs: 101005755, 101019808, 101048921, 101069141, 101072319.

Texas Conservative Majority PAC$135,152.00

Texas Conservative Majority PAC

$135,152.00

Cash
$10,000.00
Paid by others
$125,152.00
Total
$135,152.00
canvassing $125,152.00

Also funds 42 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jan 23, 2026 to Oct 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team
Sources

Derived itemized flow · Sep 8, 2026 to Sep 24, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.

Report IDs: 101069141.

Court Reform Action for Families Texas PAC$25,000.00

Court Reform Action for Families Texas PAC

$25,000.00

Cash
$25,000.00
Paid by others
$0.00
Total
$25,000.00

Also funds 32 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Feb 20, 2026 to Oct 14, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team
Sources

Derived itemized flow · on Sep 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.

Report IDs: 101069141.

Money

Missing data does not establish zero giving. Display amounts are rounded.

×

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC

$310,226.49

Cash
$50,000.00
Paid by others
$260,226.49
Total
$310,226.49
mail $134,060.64advertising $105,955.50polling $20,210.35

Also funds 124 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jul 10, 2024 to Oct 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team
Sources

Derived itemized flow · Jun 30, 2025 to Oct 15, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.

Report IDs: 101005755, 101019808, 101048921, 101069141, 101072319.

×

Texas Conservative Majority PAC

$135,152.00

Cash
$10,000.00
Paid by others
$125,152.00
Total
$135,152.00
canvassing $125,152.00

Also funds 42 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jan 23, 2026 to Oct 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team
Sources

Derived itemized flow · Sep 8, 2026 to Sep 24, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.

Report IDs: 101069141.

×

Court Reform Action for Families Texas PAC

$25,000.00

Cash
$25,000.00
Paid by others
$0.00
Total
$25,000.00

Also funds 32 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Feb 20, 2026 to Oct 14, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team
Sources

Derived itemized flow · on Sep 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.

Report IDs: 101069141.

Votes

No floor vote loaded for this bill.

Witnesses8
For
3
Against
1
On
4
Names

For

  • Self; Houston Police Officers’ Union1 registration
  • Texas Municipal Police Association (TMPA)1 registration
  • The Texas Catholic Conference of Bishops1 registration

Against

  • Self1 registration

On

  • Association of Texas Professional Educators (ATPE)1 registration
  • Texas Education Agency2 registrations
  • Texas education agency1 registration
Sources

8 parsed registrations across the loaded witness lists.

Derived stock of witness registrations. Repeated appearances count separately. Organizations and self-representation appear as printed.

House witness list. Source snapshot 2026-10-20, Central time.

Fiscal

No fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

LBB estimate · fiscal note version H · source

Sources

Fiscal note · version H · May 10, 2025

No first-year general revenue figure available here.

LBB published estimates · flow over the stated periods.

Source snapshot 2026-10-19, Central time.

How this was graded

Analysis of text version I by claude-opus-5-5, Oct 20, 2026, against the published rubric.

Sources

Texas House · Filed Dec 9, 2024

05/14/2025 H Placed on General State Calendar

Texas Legislature Online · Introduced · House Committee Report

Data snapshot Oct 26, 2026 at 4:20 AM CDT. Grades, charges, quotes and corrections follow the published record.

Coauthors
Daniel AldersRHouse 6 Candy NobleRHouse 89 Tom OliversonRHouse 130 Jared PattersonRHouse 106 Ellen TroxclairRHouse 19 Denise VillalobosRHouse 34

House committee · Public Education · Committee vote 12 aye, 0 nay, 3 absent · Out of committee

Subjects

Crimes--Against Persons--Sexual

Education--Primary & Secondary--Charter Schools

Education--Primary & Secondary--Other School Personnel

Education--Primary & Secondary--Teachers

Education--School Districts

Minors--Crimes Against

PARENTAL NOTIFICATION

EDUCATION, COMMISSIONER OF

Text

The text as introduced · 328 words

By: Hickland
H.B. No. 1551

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to the notification of parents of students enrolled in

public school regarding certain alleged criminal conduct by an

employee.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

SECTION 1. Subchapter C, Chapter 22, Education Code, is

amended by adding Section 22.088 to read as follows:

Sec. 22.088. NOTICE TO PARENTS REGARDING CERTAIN EMPLOYEE

CRIMINAL CONDUCT. (a) Not later than the second school day after a

school district or open-enrollment charter school becomes aware

that an employee of the district or school has been charged with an

offense described by Article 42.018, Code of Criminal Procedure,

the district or school shall notify the parent or guardian of each

student enrolled at the campus at which the employee is employed of

the charged offense. The notice must include:

(1) the employee's name and position;

(2) whether the employee continues to be employed at

the district or school;

(3) the length of the employee's employment with the

district or school;

(4) the offense for which the employee is being

charged; and

(5) a statement that, under state and federal law, a

person is presumed innocent until proven guilty.

(b) A school district or open-enrollment charter school may

include in the notice under Subsection (a) additional information

regarding underlying facts or circumstances relating to the charged

offense but may not disclose the identity of the alleged victim.

(c) The commissioner by rule shall establish guidelines for

providing notice under Subsection (a) during a period in which the

school district or open-enrollment charter school is closed.

SECTION 2. This Act applies beginning with the 2025-2026

school year.

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.