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SB 314
Became law
Effective for the 2026-2027 school year
- Prohibits school districts from providing any of the following foods in meals provided as part of a free or reduced-price meal under the national school lunch program:
- brominated vegetable oil (BVA)
- potassium bromate
- propylparaben
- azodicarbonamide
- butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA)
- red 3
- red 40
- yellow 5
- yellow 6
- blue 1
- blue 2
- green 3
- citrus red 3
- orange B
- ammonia caramel (Class III)
- sulfite ammonia caramel (Class IV)
- titanium dioxide
- Allows the Commissioner to issue waivers to school districts upon request
- Applies only to contracts entered into to provide food on or after September 1, 2026
SB 546
Became law
Effective 9/1/2025
- Applies the requirement for school buses to include a three-point seat belt for each passenger to buses regardless of model year beginning September 1, 2029
- Exempts school districts from the seat belt requirement if the school board determines that the district's budget does not permit the district to purchase a bus that has three-point seat belts, or if the warranty for a bus would be voided if the bus was equipped with three-point seat belts
- Requires school boards that make a determination that the district's budget is insufficient to submit to the TEA and present in a public meeting of the board a report that includes:
- the number of buses that do not have seat belts, have two-point seat belts, or have three-point seat belts
- the estimated cost to the district to add three-point seat belts to all the buses that do not have them
- Requires the TEA to collect the information provided by school districts and calculate the total amount of financial assistance needed for all school districts to come into compliance with the three-point seat belt requirement, and to summarize the information and provide it to the legislature and the Governor by January 1, 2027
SB 2986
Became law
Effective 9/1/2025
- Allows, but does not require, school districts to allow religious organizations to use school facilities to host religious services if the use of the facility does not interfere with the primary educational mission, the religious organization pays fair market rental value or reimbursement for costs, the religious organization agrees to be held liable for damage and the religious organization is subject to the same rental terms as any nonreligious organization
- Defines interfering with the primary educational mission if the organization engages in religious services during school hours, displays signs, symbols, books, or flyers on property at a time other than when being used for the religious services, or if the district or an employee promotes the religious organization's use of the facility in any manner
- These provisions only affect contracts entered into, renewed, modified, or extended on or after the effective date of the act
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