Monitoring the Session

HB 344

Tepper Bill Bars Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity Lessons In Every Grade

Died in committee

Verdict: No flags

No flagsInitial review
Rep. Carl H. TepperRHouse 84

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 a prohibition on instruction and certain activities regarding sexual orientation or gender identity provided or allowed by a public school.

Caption from analyzed text · version I.

Summary

Prekindergarten through 12th, outside groups included. Non-disruptive student speech stays protected.

The bill bars Texas public school districts, charter schools and their employees from providing, or letting outside groups provide, instruction, guidance, activities or programming about sexual orientation or gender identity to students from prekindergarten through 12th grade. It touches school districts, charter schools, school staff and third parties working with schools, while protecting student speech that does not materially disrupt school and allowing authorized health workers to serve students with any required parental consent. Starting with the 2025-2026 school year, schools could no longer offer lessons, counseling-style guidance or programs on these topics at any grade level.

Labels

Labels: NEVER GOT A HEARING. Filed Nov 12, 2024 and referred to the House Public Education committee. No public hearing. The bill died.

Receipt

The receipt

89R-HB344 · 2024-11-12

SOLD BY

Rep. Carl H. TepperRHouse 84

+ 5 coauthors

ITEM

relating to a prohibition on instruction and certain activities regarding sexual orientation or gender identity provided or allowed by a public school.

WHAT IT DOES

Prekindergarten through 12th, outside groups included. Non-disruptive student speech stays protected.

The bill bars Texas public school districts, charter schools and their employees from providing, or letting outside groups provide, instruction, guidance, activities or programming about sexual orientation or gender identity to students from prekindergarten through 12th grade. It touches school districts, charter schools, school staff and third parties working with schools, while protecting student speech that does not materially disrupt school and allowing authorized health workers to serve students with any required parental consent. Starting with the 2025-2026 school year, schools could no longer offer lessons, counseling-style guidance or programs on these topics at any grade level.

CHARGES

[ ] NONE FOUND

TOTAL

No fiscal note in the loaded record.

HISTORY

  1. Filed
  2. Read first time
  3. Referred to Public Education
FILED UNDER

SPEECH AND LAWFARE

THE TEXT

…“may not provide or allow a third party to provide instruction, guidance, activities, or programming regarding sexual orientation or gender identity”…

Bill text, introduced version (I)

The bill limits what school employees and outside presenters may teach or say to students on these topics, while carving out protected student speech.

No flags

THANK YOU FOR CHECKING THE RECEIPT

CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY

CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY

Carl H. Tepper

Donors

Texas Conservative Majority PAC$100KTexans for Lawsuit Reform PAC$25KBeef PAC$8K

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 27, 2024 to Oct 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.

Texas Conservative Majority PAC$100,000.00

Texas Conservative Majority PAC

$100,000.00

Cash
$100,000.00
Paid by others
$0.00
Total
$100,000.00

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 · on Oct 22, 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: 101072176.

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC$25,083.33

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC

$25,083.33

Cash
$25,000.00
Paid by others
$83.33
Total
$25,083.33
fundraiser $83.33

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 25, 2025 to Oct 21, 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: 101009037, 101027338, 101072176.

Beef PAC$8,000.00

Beef PAC

$8,000.00

Cash
$8,000.00
Paid by others
$0.00
Total
$8,000.00

Also funds 80 other sitting lawmakers.

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

TEC account match.

Team
Sources

Derived itemized flow · Oct 30, 2024 to Oct 20, 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: 101012320, 101057498, 101072176.

Money

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

×

Texas Conservative Majority PAC

$100,000.00

Cash
$100,000.00
Paid by others
$0.00
Total
$100,000.00

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 · on Oct 22, 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: 101072176.

×

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC

$25,083.33

Cash
$25,000.00
Paid by others
$83.33
Total
$25,083.33
fundraiser $83.33

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 25, 2025 to Oct 21, 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: 101009037, 101027338, 101072176.

×

Beef PAC

$8,000.00

Cash
$8,000.00
Paid by others
$0.00
Total
$8,000.00

Also funds 80 other sitting lawmakers.

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

TEC account match.

Team
Sources

Derived itemized flow · Oct 30, 2024 to Oct 20, 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: 101012320, 101057498, 101072176.

Votes

No floor vote loaded for this bill.

Fiscal

No fiscal note in the loaded record.

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 Nov 12, 2024

02/28/2025 H Referred to Public Education: Feb 28 2025 11:02AM

Texas Legislature Online · Introduced

Data snapshot Oct 26, 2026 at 4:19 AM CDT. Grades, charges, quotes and corrections follow the published record.

Coauthors
Cody HarrisRHouse 8 Janis HoltRHouse 18 Will MetcalfRHouse 16 Angelia OrrRHouse 13 David SpillerRHouse 68

House committee · Public Education · Final status: Died in committee

Subjects

Education--Primary & Secondary--Curriculum

Education--Primary & Secondary--Extracurricular Activities

GENDER IDENTITY & EXPRESSION

SEXUAL ORIENTATION

Text

The text as introduced · 271 words

89R480 JTZ-F

By: Tepper
H.B. No. 344

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to a prohibition on instruction and certain activities

regarding sexual orientation or gender identity provided or allowed

by a public school.

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

SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 28, Education Code, is

amended by adding Section 28.0041 to read as follows:

Sec. 28.0041. PROHIBITION ON INSTRUCTION AND CERTAIN

ACTIVITIES REGARDING SEXUAL ORIENTATION OR GENDER IDENTITY. (a)

Except as provided by Subsection (b), a school district,

open-enrollment charter school, or district or charter school

employee may not provide or allow a third party to provide

instruction, guidance, activities, or programming regarding sexual

orientation or gender identity to students enrolled in

prekindergarten through 12th grade.

(b) This section may not be construed to limit:

(1) a student's ability to engage in speech or

expressive conduct protected by the First Amendment to the United

States Constitution or by Section 8, Article I, Texas Constitution,

that does not result in material disruption to school activities;

or

(2) the ability of a person who is authorized by the

district or school to provide physical or mental health-related

services to provide the services to a student, subject to any

required parental consent.

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.