SB 609: bill requiring schools to follow their own policies

Caption

relating to requiring independent school districts, home-rule school districts, and open-enrollment charter schools to comply with legally required policies.

Caption from analyzed text · version I.

Summary

Writing the policy down is no longer enough.

When Texas law tells a school to adopt a policy, this bill says the school must also follow that policy, not just write it down. It covers regular school districts, home-rule districts, campus charter schools and open-enrollment charter schools, plus their boards and staff. Policies that schools are already required to adopt become duties they must carry out, starting immediately with a two-thirds vote or on September 1, 2025.

Labels

Labels: GOT HALFWAY. Passed the Senate on Apr 9, 2025. Died in the House: never got out of the Public Education committee.

Receipt

The receipt

89R-SB609 · 2024-12-13

SOLD BY

Sen. Angela PaxtonRSenate 8

+ 1 coauthor

ITEM

relating to requiring independent school districts, home-rule school districts, and open-enrollment charter schools to comply with legally required policies.

WHAT IT DOES

Writing the policy down is no longer enough.

When Texas law tells a school to adopt a policy, this bill says the school must also follow that policy, not just write it down. It covers regular school districts, home-rule districts, campus charter schools and open-enrollment charter schools, plus their boards and staff. Policies that schools are already required to adopt become duties they must carry out, starting immediately with a two-thirds vote or on September 1, 2025.

CHARGES

[ ] NONE FOUND

TOTAL

No fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

LBB estimate · fiscal note version I · source

Sources

Fiscal note · version I · February 26, 2025

No first-year general revenue figure available here.

LBB published estimates · flow over the stated periods.

Source snapshot 2026-10-19, Central time.

HISTORY

Dec 13, 2024Received by the Secretary of the Senate
Dec 13, 2024Filed
Feb 3, 2025Read first time
Feb 3, 2025Referred to Education K-16
Feb 27, 2025Scheduled for public hearing on . . .
Feb 27, 2025Considered in public hearing
Feb 27, 2025Testimony taken in committee
Feb 27, 2025Left pending in committee
Mar 13, 2025Considered in public hearing
Mar 13, 2025Vote taken in committee
Mar 17, 2025Reported favorably w/o amendments
Mar 17, 2025Committee report printed and distributed
Mar 24, 2025Co-author authorized
Apr 3, 2025Placed on intent calendar
Apr 8, 2025Rules suspended-Regular order of business
Apr 8, 2025Record vote
Apr 8, 2025Read 2nd time
Apr 8, 2025Amendment(s) offered FA1 Menéndez
Apr 8, 2025Amendment fails of adoption
Apr 8, 2025Record vote
Apr 8, 2025Passed to engrossment
Apr 8, 2025Record vote
Apr 9, 2025Rules suspended-Regular order of business
Apr 9, 2025Record vote
Apr 9, 2025Read 3rd time
Apr 9, 2025Passed
Apr 9, 2025Record vote
Apr 9, 2025Reported engrossed
Apr 10, 2025Received from the Senate
Apr 17, 2025Read first time
Apr 17, 2025Referred to Public Education

ALSO NOTED · NOT CHARGED (1)

CAPTION MISMATCH · analysis confidence 30%

THE TEXT

…“imposes a duty on the campus charter school, its governing”…

Bill text, introduced version (I)

The caption lists independent districts, home-rule districts and open-enrollment charters, but Section 3 also reaches campus charter schools. The gap is small and in line with the bill's purpose.

FILED UNDER

No verified beat found.

SIGNED FOR BY

Senate · 23 yea · 7 nay

Sources

Senate: Final passage · Apr 9, 2025. Journal. Published stock for this vote. Snapshot 2026-10-19, Central time.

All floor motions and other positions below.

No flags

THANK YOU FOR CHECKING THE RECEIPT

CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY

Angela Paxton

Donors

James Stanton$47,500Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC$40KGary Blake$30,000

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 Jun 30, 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.

James Stanton$47,500.00

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC$40,000.00

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC

$40,000.00

Cash: $40,000.00
Paid by others: $0.00
Total: $40,000.00

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 · Dec 11, 2024 to Jun 30, 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: 100982305, 101012314.

Gary Blake$30,000.00

Money

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

×

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC

$40,000.00

Cash: $40,000.00
Paid by others: $0.00
Total: $40,000.00

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 · Dec 11, 2024 to Jun 30, 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: 100982305, 101012314.

Votes5

Senate Apr 9, 2025

Yea: 23
Nay: 7
Present, not voting: Not printed
Absent: 0
Excused: 1

Names

Named positions matched to lawmakers. See the journal for unmatched names.

Senate journal

Sources

The bill was read third time and was passed by the following vote: Yeas 23, Nays 7. (Same as previous roll call)

Published stock of positions for this vote, except where marked derived.

Yea: 23 (published)
Nay: 7 (published)
Present, not voting: Not printed
Absent: 0 (derived from named list)
Excused: 1 (derived from named list)

Senate journal. Source snapshot 2026-10-19, Central time.

Senate Apr 9, 2025

Yea: 23
Nay: 7
Present, not voting: Not printed
Absent: 0
Excused: 1

Names

Named positions matched to lawmakers. See the journal for unmatched names.

Senate journal

Sources

Senator Paxton moved to suspend the regular order of business to take up for consideration SB 609 at this time on its third reading and final passage: SB 609, Relating to requiring independent school districts, home-rule school districts, and open-enrollment charter schools to comply with legally required policies. The motion prevailed by the following vote: Yeas 23, Nays 7.

Published stock of positions for this vote, except where marked derived.

Yea: 23 (published)
Nay: 7 (published)
Present, not voting: Not printed
Absent: 0 (derived from named list)
Excused: 1 (derived from named list)

Senate journal. Source snapshot 2026-10-19, Central time.

Senate Apr 8, 2025

Yea: 22
Nay: 8
Present, not voting: Not printed
Absent: 0
Excused: 1

Names

Named positions matched to lawmakers. See the journal for unmatched names.

Senate journal

Sources

SB 609 was passed to engrossment by the following vote: Yeas 22, Nays 8.

Published stock of positions for this vote, except where marked derived.

Yea: 22 (published)
Nay: 8 (published)
Present, not voting: Not printed
Absent: 0 (derived from named list)
Excused: 1 (derived from named list)

Senate journal. Source snapshot 2026-10-19, Central time.

Senate Apr 8, 2025

Yea: 11
Nay: 19
Present, not voting: Not printed
Absent: 0
Excused: 1

Names

Named positions matched to lawmakers. See the journal for unmatched names.

Senate journal

Sources

The amendment to SB 609 was read and failed of adoption by the following vote: Yeas 11, Nays 19.

Published stock of positions for this vote, except where marked derived.

Yea: 11 (published)
Nay: 19 (published)
Present, not voting: Not printed
Absent: 0 (derived from named list)
Excused: 1 (derived from named list)

Senate journal. Source snapshot 2026-10-19, Central time.

Senate Apr 8, 2025

Yea: 22
Nay: 8
Present, not voting: Not printed
Absent: 0
Excused: 1

Names

Named positions matched to lawmakers. See the journal for unmatched names.

Senate journal

Sources

Senator Paxton moved to suspend the regular order of business to take up for consideration SB 609 at this time on its second reading: SB 609, Relating to requiring independent school districts, home-rule school districts, and open-enrollment charter schools to comply with legally required policies. The motion prevailed by the following vote: Yeas 22, Nays 8.

Published stock of positions for this vote, except where marked derived.

Yea: 22 (published)
Nay: 8 (published)
Present, not voting: Not printed
Absent: 0 (derived from named list)
Excused: 1 (derived from named list)

Senate journal. Source snapshot 2026-10-19, Central time.

Witnesses50

For: 9
Against: 38
On: 3

Names

For

Self4 registrations
Self; Texas Eagle Forum1 registration
Self; Texas Ed 9111 registration
Self; Texas Public Charter Schools Association1 registration
Texas Association of School Boards1 registration
Texas Classroom Teachers Association1 registration

Against

Self34 registrations
Self; Moms Demand Action for gun sense laws and policies1 registration
Self; University democats ut1 registration
Self; Ut students2 registrations

On

Self; Texas Education 9111 registration
TEA1 registration
Texas Education Agency1 registration

Sources

50 parsed registrations across the loaded witness lists.

Derived stock of witness registrations. Repeated appearances count separately. Organizations and self-representation appear as printed.

Senate witness list. Source snapshot 2026-10-20, Central time.

Fiscal

No fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

LBB estimate · fiscal note version I · source

Sources

Fiscal note · version I · February 26, 2025

No first-year general revenue figure available here.

LBB published estimates · flow over the stated periods.

Source snapshot 2026-10-19, Central time.

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 Dec 13, 2024

04/17/2025 H Referred to Public Education: Apr 17 2025 2:29PM

Texas Legislature Online · Introduced · Senate Committee Report · Engrossed

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

Coauthors

Phil KingRSenate 10

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

Senate committee · Education K-16 · Committee vote 8 aye, 0 nay, 1 absent · Out of committee

Companion

HB 4699 by Leo Wilson (very similar)

Subjects

Education--Primary & Secondary--Charter Schools

Education--School Districts

Text

The text as introduced · 318 words

2025S0004-1 11/15/24

By: Paxton
S.B. No. 609

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to requiring independent school districts, home-rule

school districts, and open-enrollment charter schools to comply

with legally required policies.

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

SECTION 1. Subchapter B, Chapter 11, Education Code, is

amended by adding Section 11.012 to read as follows:

Sec. 11.012. REQUIREMENT REGARDING THE ADOPTION OF A

POLICY. Any requirement of law that imposes a duty to adopt a

policy imposes a duty on the school district, board of trustees, and

school district personnel to implement and act in accordance with

the policy requirements.

SECTION 2. Section 12.013, Education Code, is amended by

adding Subsection (c) to read as follows:

(c) Any requirement of law that imposes a duty to adopt a

policy imposes a duty on the home-rule school district, its

governing body, and school personnel to implement and act in

accordance with the policy requirements.

SECTION 3. Section 12.056, Education Code, is amended by

adding Subsection (c) to read as follows:

(c) Any requirement of law that imposes a duty to adopt a

policy imposes a duty on the campus charter school, its governing

body, and its school personnel to implement and act in accordance

with the policy requirements.

SECTION 4. Section 12.104, Education Code, is amended by

adding Subsection (e) to read as follows:

(e) Any requirement of law that imposes a duty to adopt a

policy imposes a duty on the open-enrollment charter school, its

governing body, and its school personnel to implement and act in

accordance with the policy requirements.

SECTION 5. 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.

Verdict: No flags

The receipt

SOLD BY

ITEM

WHAT IT DOES

CHARGES

TOTAL

HISTORY

SIGNED FOR BY

Donors

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC

Senate Apr 9, 2025

Senate Apr 9, 2025

Senate Apr 8, 2025

Senate Apr 8, 2025

Senate Apr 8, 2025

For

Against

On

Companion