SB 191

school districts must test taps for lead

Died in committee

Verdict: No flags

No flagsInitial review

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 adoption of a healthy and safe school water plan by public schools.

Caption from analyzed text · version I.

Summary

Above 15 parts per billion? Shut off within 48 hours.

The bill requires every Texas school district to adopt a written plan for testing school drinking and kitchen taps for lead and for cutting kids' exposure to it. If a tap tests above 15 parts per billion, the district must cut off access within 48 hours, find and fix the source, and retest below that level before reopening it. The Texas Education Agency must write a model plan by December 31, 2025, and may reimburse testing costs if money is available, and districts and charter schools must adopt their plans by September 1, 2026.

Labels

Labels: ZOMBIE BILL. Died 2 times: 88R SB 456 (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 SB 456 (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 Nov 12, 2024 and referred to the Senate Education K-16 committee. No public hearing. The bill died.

Receipt

The receipt

89R-SB191 · 2024-11-12

SOLD BY

Sen. José MenéndezDSenate 26

ITEM

relating to the adoption of a healthy and safe school water plan by public schools.

WHAT IT DOES

Above 15 parts per billion? Shut off within 48 hours.

CHARGES

[ ] NONE FOUND

TOTAL

No fiscal note in the loaded record.

HISTORY

Nov 12, 2024Received by the Secretary of the Senate
Nov 12, 2024Filed
Feb 3, 2025Read first time
Feb 3, 2025Referred to Education K-16

FILED UNDER

No verified beat found.

No flags

THANK YOU FOR CHECKING THE RECEIPT

CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY

José Menéndez

Donors

Kickapoo Traditional Tribes of Texas$25K Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC$20K Texas REALTORS Political Action Committee$10K

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 2, 2024 to Oct 5, 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.

Kickapoo Traditional Tribes of Texas$25,000.00

Kickapoo Traditional Tribes of Texas

$25,000.00

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

Also funds 0 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · on Jan 22, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Name match, not a verified identity: normalized filed name and state.

Sources

Derived itemized flow · on Jan 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: 101065471.

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC$20,000.00

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC

$20,000.00

Cash: $20,000.00
Paid by others: $0.00
Total: $20,000.00

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 · Dec 12, 2024 to Oct 5, 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: 101012370, 101032316, 101072614.

Texas REALTORS Political Action Committee$10,000.00

Texas REALTORS Political Action Committee

$10,000.00

Cash: $10,000.00
Paid by others: $0.00
Total: $10,000.00

Also funds 140 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jul 2, 2024 to Oct 24, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team

Sources

Derived itemized flow · on Dec 2, 2025. 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: 101032316.

Money

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

Kickapoo Traditional Tribes of Texas

$25,000.00

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

Also funds 0 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · on Jan 22, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Name match, not a verified identity: normalized filed name and state.

Sources

Derived itemized flow · on Jan 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: 101065471.

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC

$20,000.00

Cash: $20,000.00
Paid by others: $0.00
Total: $20,000.00

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 · Dec 12, 2024 to Oct 5, 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: 101012370, 101032316, 101072614.

Texas REALTORS Political Action Committee

$10,000.00

Cash: $10,000.00
Paid by others: $0.00
Total: $10,000.00

Also funds 140 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jul 2, 2024 to Oct 24, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team

Sources

Derived itemized flow · on Dec 2, 2025. 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: 101032316.

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 SB 456

by Sen. Menéndez, same lead author · Died in committee · reworked

Introduced text

Last action, Feb 17, 2023: Referred to Education

Relating to the adoption of a healthy and safe school water plan by public schools.

Caption, 88R bill history

Sources

Texas Senate · Filed Nov 12, 2024

02/03/2025 S Referred to Education K-16

Texas Legislature Online · Introduced

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

Senate committee · Education K-16 · Final status: Died in committee

Subjects

Education--Primary & Secondary--Facilities

Education--School Districts

Minors--Health & Safety

Water--General

LEAD POISONING

EDUCATION AGENCY, TEXAS

Text

The text as introduced · 418 words

89R3179 PRL-D

By: Menéndez
S.B. No. 191

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to the adoption of a healthy and safe school water plan by

public schools.

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

SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 38, Education Code, is

amended by adding Section 38.037 to read as follows:

Sec. 38.037. HEALTHY AND SAFE SCHOOL WATER PLAN. (a) In

this section, "water source" means any running water tap that is

used for drinking or food preparation.

(b) Each school district shall adopt a healthy and safe

school water plan. The plan must include provisions for:

(1) periodic testing for lead in school water sources;

and

(2) reducing exposure to elevated levels of lead in

school water sources.

(c) If the results of a school water source test for lead

show a level of lead that exceeds 15 parts per billion, the school

district must restrict access to the water source within 48 hours of

learning of the test results. The district must determine and

mitigate the source of the lead contamination, and a subsequent

test for lead must show a level of lead below 15 parts per billion

before access to the water source is returned to normal.

(d) The agency, in collaboration with the Texas Commission

on Environmental Quality, the Department of State Health Services,

regional education service centers, and other stakeholders, shall

develop a model healthy and safe school water plan that a school

district may use to comply with the requirements of this section.

(e) To the extent that funds are available to the agency for

the purpose, the agency shall develop a program under which the

agency reimburses a school district for testing lead concentrations

in school water sources.

SECTION 2. (a) Not later than December 31, 2025, the Texas

Education Agency shall develop the model healthy and safe school

water plan required by Section 38.037, Education Code, as added by

this Act.

(b) Not later than September 1, 2026, each school district

and open-enrollment charter school shall adopt a healthy and safe

school water plan as required by Section 38.037, Education Code, as

added by this Act, and Section 12.104(b)(3)(K), Education Code, as

applicable.

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.