SB 810
Hughes Bill Bars Schools From Punishing Staff Over Sex-Based Pronouns
Did not pass
Verdict: No flags
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 protection for a public school employee's use of terms consistent with biological sex.
Caption from analyzed text · version I.
Summary
No discipline, retaliation or discrimination over how staff address students and coworkers. Charters too.
The bill bars Texas school districts and open-enrollment charter schools from disciplining, retaliating against, or discriminating against an employee who addresses a student or coworker in terms that match that person's biological sex. It touches public school teachers and staff, and the districts and charter schools that employ them. On the ground, a school could no longer punish a staff member for using sex-based terms such as pronouns when addressing students or colleagues, starting immediately if two-thirds of each house votes for it or September 1, 2025 otherwise.
Labels
Labels: STALLED AFTER COMMITTEE. Voted out of the Senate State Affairs committee 10-0 on Mar 13, 2025. Placed on the intent calendar on Mar 25, 2025. The bill died.
Receipt
The receipt
89R-SB810 · 2025-01-16
SOLD BY
+ 3 coauthors
ITEM
relating to protection for a public school employee's use of terms consistent with biological sex.
WHAT IT DOES
No discipline, retaliation or discrimination over how staff address students and coworkers. Charters too.
The bill bars Texas school districts and open-enrollment charter schools from disciplining, retaliating against, or discriminating against an employee who addresses a student or coworker in terms that match that person's biological sex. It touches public school teachers and staff, and the districts and charter schools that employ them. On the ground, a school could no longer punish a staff member for using sex-based terms such as pronouns when addressing students or colleagues, starting immediately if two-thirds of each house votes for it or September 1, 2025 otherwise.
CHARGES
[ ] NONE FOUND
TOTAL
No fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.
LBB estimate · fiscal note version I · source
Sources
Fiscal note · version I · March 1, 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
- Received by the Secretary of the Senate
- Filed
- Read first time
- Referred to State Affairs
- Scheduled for public hearing on . . .
- Considered in public hearing
- Testimony taken in committee
- Left pending in committee
- Co-author authorized
- Considered in public hearing
- Vote taken in committee
- Reported favorably w/o amendments
- Committee report printed and distributed
- Placed on intent calendar
- Not again placed on intent calendar
FILED UNDER
THE TEXT
…“may not discipline, retaliate against, or otherwise discriminate against a district or school employee who addresses a student or another district or school employee in terms consistent with the biological sex”…
Bill text, introduced version (I)
The bill shields public school employees' speech about biological sex from punishment by their district or charter school.
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 1, 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.
GOPAC Election Fund$250,000.00
GOPAC Election Fund
$250,000.00
- Cash
- $250,000.00
- Paid by others
- $0.00
- Total
- $250,000.00
Also funds 2 other sitting lawmakers.
Derived recipient stock · Jul 17, 2025 to Oct 15, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.
Name match, not a verified identity: normalized filed name and state.
Sources
Derived itemized flow · Jul 17, 2025 to Oct 15, 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: 101028838, 101071548.
CRAFTPAC (Court Reform Action for Texas Families)$100,000.00
CRAFTPAC (Court Reform Action for Texas Families)
$100,000.00
- Cash
- $100,000.00
- Paid by others
- $0.00
- Total
- $100,000.00
Also funds 0 other sitting lawmakers.
Derived recipient stock · on Sep 4, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.
Name match, not a verified identity: normalized filed name and state.
Sources
Derived itemized flow · on Sep 4, 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: 101067724.
Court Reform Action for Families Texas PAC$100,000.00
Court Reform Action for Families Texas PAC
$100,000.00
- Cash
- $100,000.00
- Paid by others
- $0.00
- Total
- $100,000.00
Also funds 32 other sitting lawmakers.
Derived recipient stock · Feb 20, 2026 to Oct 14, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.
TEC account match.
TeamSources
Derived itemized flow · on Oct 13, 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: 101071548.
Missing data does not establish zero giving. Display amounts are rounded.
GOPAC Election Fund
$250,000.00
- Cash
- $250,000.00
- Paid by others
- $0.00
- Total
- $250,000.00
Also funds 2 other sitting lawmakers.
Derived recipient stock · Jul 17, 2025 to Oct 15, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.
Name match, not a verified identity: normalized filed name and state.
Sources
Derived itemized flow · Jul 17, 2025 to Oct 15, 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: 101028838, 101071548.
CRAFTPAC (Court Reform Action for Texas Families)
$100,000.00
- Cash
- $100,000.00
- Paid by others
- $0.00
- Total
- $100,000.00
Also funds 0 other sitting lawmakers.
Derived recipient stock · on Sep 4, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.
Name match, not a verified identity: normalized filed name and state.
Sources
Derived itemized flow · on Sep 4, 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: 101067724.
Court Reform Action for Families Texas PAC
$100,000.00
- Cash
- $100,000.00
- Paid by others
- $0.00
- Total
- $100,000.00
Also funds 32 other sitting lawmakers.
Derived recipient stock · Feb 20, 2026 to Oct 14, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.
TEC account match.
TeamSources
Derived itemized flow · on Oct 13, 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: 101071548.
Votes
No floor vote loaded for this bill.
Witnesses38
- For
- 16
- Against
- 21
- On
- 1
Names
For
- Alliance Defending Freedom1 registration
- Self7 registrations
- Self; Texas Eagle Forum1 registration
- Self; Texas Right To Know1 registration
- Self; Texas Values2 registrations
- Texas Faith & Freedom Coalition1 registration
- Texas Values2 registrations
- The Texas Catholic Conference of Bishops1 registration
Against
- Planned Parenthood Texas Votes1 registration
- Self14 registrations
- Self; ACLU of Texas1 registration
- Self; Equality Texas2 registrations
- Self; Human Rights Campaign1 registration
- Self; Transgender Education Network of Texas1 registration
- Texas Counseling Association1 registration
On
- TEA1 registration
Sources
38 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 · March 1, 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 Jan 16, 2025
03/26/2025 S Not again placed on intent calendar
Texas Legislature Online · Introduced · Senate Committee Report
Data snapshot Oct 26, 2026 at 4:19 AM CDT. Grades, charges, quotes and corrections follow the published record.
Senate committee · State Affairs · Committee vote 10 aye, 0 nay, 1 absent · Out of committee
Companion
HB 2342 by Cain (similar)
Subjects
Education--Primary & Secondary--General
Education--Primary & Secondary--Other School Personnel
Education--Primary & Secondary--Teachers
Education--School Districts
DISCRIMINATION
Text
The text as introduced · 162 words
89R5513 BCH-D By: Hughes S.B. No. 810 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT relating to protection for a public school employee's use of terms consistent with biological sex. BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: SECTION 1. Subchapter Z, Chapter 22, Education Code, is amended by adding Section 22.905 to read as follows: Sec. 22.905. PROTECTION FOR USE OF TERMS CONSISTENT WITH BIOLOGICAL SEX. A school district or open-enrollment charter school may not discipline, retaliate against, or otherwise discriminate against a district or school employee who addresses a student or another district or school employee in terms consistent with the biological sex of the student or employee. SECTION 2. 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.