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HB 549
Became law
Effective for the 2025-2026 school year
- Requires school districts to make at least one airway clearing device available at each district campus if the devices are donated or money is appropriated or donated for the purpose of purchasing the devices
- If such devices are available, districts must ensure at least one employee trained in the proper use of the device is present at any time a substantial number of students are present
- Allows districts to contract with a vendor to provide medication for respiratory distress and training for school personnel and volunteers authorized to administer medication for respiratory distress
HB 1586
Became law
Effective for the 2025-2026 school year
- Requires the Department of State Health Services to develop a blank affidavit form for use in claiming an exemption from a required immunization and post it on the DSHS website within 30 days of the effective date of the act
- Prohibits the department from requiring a person to provide any information to access the form
- Allows, but does not require, the department to maintain a record of the number of times the form was accessed or requested
- Prohibits the department from including personally identifiable information of anyone who requests or accesses the form in the record
SB 25
Became law
Effective 9/1/2025
- Prohibits schools from restricting physical activity as part of required recess or PE in grades preK-8 as a penalty for students' academic performance or behavior
- Requires health TEKS in K-8 to include nutrition instruction based on guidelines recommended by the Texas Nutrition Advisory Committee beginning in the 2027-2028 school year
- Requires school districts to provide an elective course in nutrition and wellness that can be a one-half elective credit beginning in the 2027-2028 school year
SB 865
Became law
Effective for the 2025-2026 school year
- Requires school nurses, assistant nurses, athletic coaches, PE teachers, marching band directors, cheerleading coaches, and other employees specified by the Commissioner and every student who serves as an athletic trainer to participate in CPR training and maintain CPR certification
- Requires school districts to establish and implement a cardiac emergency response plan that establishes safety procedures to follow in responding to a cardiac arrest on district or school grounds
- In developing the plan, the district must work with local emergency services providers to integrate the plan with the providers' protocols and incorporate evidence-based practices
- The plan must include:
- the establishment of a cardiac emergency response team
- procedures for activating the team in response to a cardiac arrest
- the dissemination of the plan throughout the district
- ongoing training for appropriate staff
- annual practice drills
- annual review of the plan
- Requires cardiac emergency response plans to be implemented by the first instructional day of the 2027-2028 school year
SB 920
Became law
Effective 9/1/2025
- Allows a policy adopted by a school board related to the administration of medication to permit a school employee to administer nonprescription medication without further authorization or written protocol from the student's health care provider if the parent has provided a written request, the medication is unexpired and from a properly labeled and original container, and at a dose that is consistent with the instructions on the label
SB 1619
Became law
Effective immediately
- Adjusts reference to epinephrine to incorporate epinephrine nasal spray in addition to epinephrine auto-injectors
SB 2398
Became law
Effective for the 2025-2026 school year
- Requires TEA to develop a list of nonmedical academic accommodations a school district may offer to a student diagnosed with a concussion or other brain injury
- The agency has to develop a form for use by school districts describing accommodations and make the form available online
- Requires school districts that provide accommodations to make the TEA form available to district employees and students after receiving notice that a student has been diagnosed with a concussion or a request from the employee or student
- Clarifies that providing such accommodations is optional
- Requires school districts to adopt and implement policies regarding how to respond to a concussion sustained by a student while on school property or at a school activity, other than athletics
- The policy must provide for the immediate removal of the student from the activity, notice to the parent of the concussion, and the student's return to the activity after completion of concussion protocol
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