Monitoring the Session

HB 5230

Johnson Emergency Training Bill Lets Districts Require Four Free Courses

Died in committee

Verdict: Smells

SmellsInitial review
Rep. Charlene Ward JohnsonDHouse 139
Why it's charged
List of feelings

THE TEXT

…“district may require each principal, assistant principal, school”…

Bill text, introduced version (I)

The core verb is 'may', so no district has to require the training. The only 'shall' duties apply to a district that chooses to opt in.

List of feelings

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 emergency response management training for certain administrators and security personnel at public schools.

Caption from analyzed text · version I.

Summary

The verb is “may.” Skip it and nothing changes. No state agency enforces or funds it.

The bill lets each Texas school district choose to require principals, assistant principals, school marshals, district police, school resource officers and security staff to take four free FEMA emergency-management courses. A district that opts in must adopt policies to verify completion and to run yearly emergency drills built on that training, and the bill also adds the new section to the list of rules open-enrollment charter schools must follow. Nothing changes in a district that does not opt in, because the training is optional and no state agency enforces or funds it.

Labels

Labels: ZOMBIE BILL. Died 2 times: 88R HB 3255 by Rep. Manuel (Died in committee) and this bill (Died in committee). Checked against 88R only.DO-OVER. Reworked text of a bill filed before that died: 88R HB 3255 by Rep. Manuel (Died in committee). Filed in 2 sessions, counting this one. Checked against 88R only.TRY NO. 2. Filed in 2 sessions: 88R and 89R. Checked against 88R only.NEVER GOT A HEARING. Filed Mar 14, 2025 and referred to the House Public Education committee. No public hearing. The bill died.

Receipt

The receipt

89R-HB5230 · 2025-03-14

SOLD BY

ITEM

relating to emergency response management training for certain administrators and security personnel at public schools.

WHAT IT DOES

The verb is “may.” Skip it and nothing changes. No state agency enforces or funds it.

The bill lets each Texas school district choose to require principals, assistant principals, school marshals, district police, school resource officers and security staff to take four free FEMA emergency-management courses. A district that opts in must adopt policies to verify completion and to run yearly emergency drills built on that training, and the bill also adds the new section to the list of rules open-enrollment charter schools must follow. Nothing changes in a district that does not opt in, because the training is optional and no state agency enforces or funds it.

CHARGES

[x] LIST OF FEELINGSanalysis confidence 60%

THE TEXT

…“district may require each principal, assistant principal, school”…

Bill text, introduced version (I)

The core verb is 'may', so no district has to require the training. The only 'shall' duties apply to a district that chooses to opt in.

TOTAL

No fiscal note in the loaded record.

HISTORY

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

No verified beat found.

Smells

THANK YOU FOR CHECKING THE RECEIPT

CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY

CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY

Donors

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 · Jul 5, 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 Sands PAC$33,000.00

Texas Sands PAC

$33,000.00

Cash
$33,000.00
Paid by others
$0.00
Total
$33,000.00

Also funds 121 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jul 3, 2024 to Oct 24, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team
Sources

Derived itemized flow · Oct 1, 2024 to Jan 28, 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: 100981582, 101039497.

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC$32,500.00

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC

$32,500.00

Cash
$32,500.00
Paid by others
$0.00
Total
$32,500.00

Also funds 137 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jul 24, 2024 to Oct 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team
Sources

Derived itemized flow · Jun 23, 2025 to Sep 1, 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: 101008678, 101031228, 101035430, 101039497, 101068178.

Legacy 44$25,343.19

Legacy 44

$25,343.19

Cash
$4,500.00
Paid by others
$20,843.19
Total
$25,343.19
Other filed descriptions $10,000.00mailer $9,036.44digital $1,806.75

Also funds 33 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Oct 21, 2024 to Oct 20, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team
Sources

Derived itemized flow · Oct 21, 2024 to Oct 9, 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: 100981582, 101031228, 101039497, 101073019.

Money

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

×

Texas Sands PAC

$33,000.00

Cash
$33,000.00
Paid by others
$0.00
Total
$33,000.00

Also funds 121 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jul 3, 2024 to Oct 24, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team
Sources

Derived itemized flow · Oct 1, 2024 to Jan 28, 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: 100981582, 101039497.

×

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC

$32,500.00

Cash
$32,500.00
Paid by others
$0.00
Total
$32,500.00

Also funds 137 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jul 24, 2024 to Oct 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team
Sources

Derived itemized flow · Jun 23, 2025 to Sep 1, 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: 101008678, 101031228, 101035430, 101039497, 101068178.

×

Legacy 44

$25,343.19

Cash
$4,500.00
Paid by others
$20,843.19
Total
$25,343.19
Other filed descriptions $10,000.00mailer $9,036.44digital $1,806.75

Also funds 33 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Oct 21, 2024 to Oct 20, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team
Sources

Derived itemized flow · Oct 21, 2024 to Oct 9, 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: 100981582, 101031228, 101039497, 101073019.

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.

FILED BEFORE

Filed 2 times: 88R and 89R. Checked against 88R only.

88R HB 3255

by Rep. Manuel, different lead author · Died in committee · reworked

Introduced text

Last action, May 9, 2023: Referred to Education

Relating to emergency response management training for certain administrators and security personnel at public schools.

Caption, 88R bill history

Sources

Texas House · Filed Mar 14, 2025

04/07/2025 H Referred to Public Education: Apr 7 2025 5:28PM

Texas Legislature Online · Introduced

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

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

Subjects

Disaster Preparedness & Relief

Education--Primary & Secondary--Other School Personnel

Education--School Districts

Law Enforcement

Minors--Health & Safety

Safety

STAFF DEVELOPMENT & TRAINING

Text

The text as introduced · 660 words

89R12424 BCH-D

By: Ward Johnson
H.B. No. 5230

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to emergency response management training for certain

administrators and security personnel at public schools.

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

SECTION 1. Section 12.104(b), Education Code, is amended to

read as follows:

(b) An open-enrollment charter school is subject to:

(1) a provision of this title establishing a criminal

offense;

(2) the provisions in Chapter 554, Government Code;

and

(3) a prohibition, restriction, or requirement, as

applicable, imposed by this title or a rule adopted under this

title, relating to:

(A) the Public Education Information Management

System (PEIMS) to the extent necessary to monitor compliance with

this subchapter as determined by the commissioner;

(B) criminal history records under Subchapter C,

Chapter 22;

(C) reading instruments and accelerated reading

instruction programs under Section 28.006;

(D) accelerated instruction under Section

28.0211;

(E) high school graduation requirements under

Section 28.025;

(F) special education programs under Subchapter

A, Chapter 29;

(G) bilingual education under Subchapter B,

Chapter 29;

(H) prekindergarten programs under Subchapter E

or E-1, Chapter 29, except class size limits for prekindergarten

classes imposed under Section 25.112, which do not apply;

(I) extracurricular activities under Section

33.081;

(J) discipline management practices or behavior

management techniques under Section 37.0021;

(K) health and safety under Chapter 38;

(L) the provisions of Subchapter A, Chapter 39;

(M) public school accountability and special

investigations under Subchapters A, B, C, D, F, G, and J, Chapter

39, and Chapter 39A;

(N) the requirement under Section 21.006 to

report an educator's misconduct;

(O) intensive programs of instruction under

Section 28.0213;

(P) the right of a school employee to report a

crime, as provided by Section 37.148;

(Q) bullying prevention policies and procedures

under Section 37.0832;

(R) the right of a school under Section 37.0052

to place a student who has engaged in certain bullying behavior in a

disciplinary alternative education program or to expel the student;

(S) the right under Section 37.0151 to report to

local law enforcement certain conduct constituting assault or

harassment;

(T) a parent's right to information regarding the

provision of assistance for learning difficulties to the parent's

child as provided by Sections 26.004(b)(11) and 26.0081(c) and (d);

(U) establishment of residency under Section

25.001;

(V) school safety requirements under Sections

37.0814, 37.108, 37.1081, 37.1082, 37.1083, 37.1084, 37.1085,

37.1086, 37.109, 37.113, 37.114, 37.1141, 37.115, 37.116, 37.207,

and 37.2071 and Subchapter J, Chapter 37;

(W) the early childhood literacy and mathematics

proficiency plans under Section 11.185;

(X) the college, career, and military readiness

plans under Section 11.186; and

(Y) parental options to retain a student under

Section 28.02124.

SECTION 2. Subchapter D, Chapter 37, Education Code, is

amended by adding Section 37.116 to read as follows:

Sec. 37.116. EMERGENCY RESPONSE TRAINING. (a) A school

district may require each principal, assistant principal, school

marshal, school district peace officer, school resource officer,

and school security personnel employed by or assigned to the

district to complete the following emergency response management

training courses provided by the Federal Emergency Management

Agency:

(1) Introduction to the Incident Command System;

(2) Basic Incident Command System for Initial

Response;

(3) An Introduction to the National Incident

Management System; and

(4) National Response Framework, An Introduction.

(b) The board of trustees of a school district that requires

the completion of training courses under Subsection (a) shall adopt

policies to:

(1) verify completion of the training by each person

required to complete the training under Subsection (a); and

(2) provide annual emergency response management

training exercises incorporating the training required under

Subsection (a).

SECTION 3. This Act applies beginning with the 2025-2026

school year.

SECTION 4. 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.