bill rewriting the school counselor job description

The text as introduced · 383 words

89R10556 AND-F

By: Lopez of Cameron
H.B. No. 2050

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to the duties of a public school counselor.

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

SECTION 1. Sections 33.006(a) and (b), Education Code, are

amended to read as follows:

(a) The primary responsibility of a school counselor is to

counsel students to fully develop each student's academic, career,

and personal[ , and social ] abilities.

(b) In addition to a school counselor's responsibility

under Subsection (a), the school counselor shall:

(1) participate in planning, implementing, and

evaluating a comprehensive developmental school counseling

[ guidance ] program to serve all students and to address the special

needs of students:

(A) who are at risk of dropping out of school,

becoming substance abusers, participating in gang activity, or

committing suicide;

(B) who are at risk of:

(i) choosing an unhealthy or inappropriate

solution to a problem; or

(ii) engaging in harmful behavior toward

themselves or others;

(C) who are in need of modified instructional

strategies; or

(D) [ (C) ] who are gifted and talented, with

emphasis on identifying and serving gifted and talented students

who are educationally disadvantaged;

(2) consult with a student's parent or guardian and

make referrals as appropriate in consultation with the student's

parent or guardian;

(3) consult with school staff, parents, and other

community members to help them increase the effectiveness of

student education and promote student success;

(4) coordinate people and resources in the school,

home, and community;

(5) with the assistance of school staff, interpret

standardized test results and other assessment data that help a

student make educational and career plans;

(6) deliver classroom guidance activities or serve as

a consultant to teachers conducting lessons based on the school's

guidance curriculum; and

(7) serve as an impartial, nonreporting resource for

interpersonal conflicts and discord involving two or more students,

including accusations of bullying under Section 37.0832.

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.