bill adds a threat assessment review team at each campus

The text as introduced · 725 words

89R16121 ANG-D

By: Meyer
H.B. No. 4874

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to the policies and procedures of a public school's threat

assessment and safe and supportive school team and threat

assessment review team.

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

SECTION 1. Section 37.115(a), Education Code, is amended by

adding Subdivision (1-a) to read as follows:

(1-a) "Review team" means a threat assessment review

team established by the board of trustees of a school district under

this section.

SECTION 2. Section 37.115, Education Code, is amended by

reenacting and amending Subsection (c), as amended by Chapters 896

(H.B. 3) and 948 (S.B. 1720), Acts of the 88th Legislature, Regular

Session, 2023, and adding Subsection (c-1) to read as follows:

(c) The board of trustees of each school district shall

establish a threat assessment and safe and supportive school team

and a threat assessment review team to serve at each campus of the

district and shall adopt policies and procedures for the teams and

review teams .

(c-1) A [ The ] team must be composed of at least three

members and is responsible for developing and implementing the safe

and supportive school program under Subsection (b) at the district

campus served by the team. The policies and procedures adopted

under this section must:

(1) be consistent with the model policies and

procedures developed by the Texas School Safety Center;

(2) require each team and review team to complete

training provided by the Texas School Safety Center or a regional

education service center regarding evidence-based threat

assessment programs;

(3) require each team and review team established

under Subsection (c) [ this section ] to report the information

required under Subsection (k) regarding the team's or review

team's, as applicable, activities to the agency; [ and ]

(4) provide for:

(A) a district employee who reports a potential

threat to a team to elect for the employee's identity to be

confidential and not subject to disclosure under Chapter 552,

Government Code, except as necessary for the team, the district, or

law enforcement to investigate the potential threat; and

(B) the district to maintain a record of the

identity of a district employee who elects for the employee's

identity to be confidential under Paragraph (A) ; and

(5) [ (4) ] require each district campus to establish a

clear procedure for a student to report concerning behavior

exhibited by another student for assessment by the team or other

appropriate school employee.

SECTION 3. Section 37.115, Education Code, is amended by

adding Subsections (f-3), (h-1), and (h-2) and amending Subsection

(h) to read as follows:

(f-3) Before a team may conduct a threat assessment of an

individual, at least two-thirds of the members of the team must

agree that a threat assessment is necessary.

(h) On a determination that a student or other individual

poses a serious risk of violence to self or others, a team must

immediately report that determination to the campus's review team

for review of the determination.

(h-1) On confirmation by a campus's review team under

Subsection (h) that a student or other individual poses a serious

risk of violence to self or others, a team shall immediately report

the team's determination to the superintendent. If the individual

is a student, the superintendent shall immediately attempt to

inform the parent or person standing in parental relation to the

student. The requirements of this subsection do not prevent an

employee of the school from acting immediately to prevent an

imminent threat or respond to an emergency.

(h-2) A campus's review team shall review any threat

assessment of a student conducted by the team serving that campus to

determine whether information related to the threat assessment

should be included in the student's disciplinary or other school

records.

SECTION 4. To the extent of any conflict, this Act prevails

over another Act of the 89th Legislature, Regular Session, 2025,

relating to nonsubstantive additions to and corrections in enacted

codes.

SECTION 5. This Act applies beginning with the 2025-2026

school year.

SECTION 6. 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.