SB 3024
Menéndez Pledge Bill Sends Excused Students Out Of The Room
Died in committee
Verdict: Smells
Why it's charged
Caption mismatch
The caption speaks only of students' ability to recite the pledge. The body also orders excused students out of the classroom during the pledges, and the caption does not mention that.
Caption mismatchInitial 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 ability for students to recite the pledge of allegiance.
Caption from analyzed text · version I.
Summary
Caption: the ability to recite. Bill: recite or silently observe, or “wait outside of the room.”
The bill rewrites the state's daily pledge rule so students must either recite or silently observe the U.S. and Texas pledges each school day. It covers students and staff at every public school district and open-enrollment charter school. Students excused from the pledge at a parent's written request must now wait outside the room while the pledges are said.
Labels
Labels: NEVER GOT A HEARING. Filed Mar 14, 2025 and referred to the Senate Education K-16 committee. No public hearing. The bill died.
Receipt
The receipt
89R-SB3024 · 2025-03-14
SOLD BY
ITEM
relating to the ability for students to recite the pledge of allegiance.
WHAT IT DOES
Caption: the ability to recite. Bill: recite or silently observe, or “wait outside of the room.”
The bill rewrites the state's daily pledge rule so students must either recite or silently observe the U.S. and Texas pledges each school day. It covers students and staff at every public school district and open-enrollment charter school. Students excused from the pledge at a parent's written request must now wait outside the room while the pledges are said.
CHARGES
[x] CAPTION MISMATCHanalysis confidence 50%
The caption speaks only of students' ability to recite the pledge. The body also orders excused students out of the classroom during the pledges, and the caption does not mention that.
TOTAL
No fiscal note in the loaded record.
HISTORY
- Received by the Secretary of the Senate
- Filed
- Read first time
- Referred to Education K-16
FILED UNDER
No verified beat found.
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 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.
TeamSources
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.
TeamSources
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.
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.
TeamSources
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.
TeamSources
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.
Sources
Texas Senate · Filed Mar 14, 2025
04/07/2025 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--General
FLAGS
Text
The text as introduced · 283 words
By: Menéndez S.B. No. 3024 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT relating to the ability for students to recite the pledge of allegiance. BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: SECTION 1. SECTION 25.082, Education Code, is amended as follows: (b) The board of trustees of each school district and the governing board of each open-enrollment charter school shall require students, once during each school day at each campus, to recite or silently observe the recitation of : (1) the pledge of allegiance to the United States flag in accordance with 4 U.S.C. Section 4; and (2) the pledge of allegiance to the state flag in accordance with Subchapter C, Chapter 3100, Government Code. (b-1) The board of trustees of each school district and the governing board of each open-enrollment charter school shall require that the United States and Texas flags be prominently displayed in accordance with 4 U.S.C. Sections 5-10 and Chapter 3100 , Government Code, in each campus classroom to which a student is assigned at the time the pledges of allegiance to those flags are recited. A district or school is not required to spend federal, state, or local district or school funds to acquire flags required under this subsection. A district or school may raise money or accept gifts, grants, and donations to acquire flags required under this subsection. (c) On written request from a student's parent or guardian, a school district or open-enrollment charter school shall excuse the student from reciting a pledge of allegiance under Subsection (b) and these students must wait outside of the room as these activities are being conducted . SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.