SB204

Regular Session

Relating to a handbook on parental rights in education and training requirements on parental rights in education for a member of the board of trustees of a school district.

ModeratePlan for compliance

Low Cost

Effective:2025-09-01

Enforcing Agencies

Texas Education Agency (TEA) • State Board of Education (SBOE)

Compliance Analysis

Key implementation requirements and action items for compliance with this legislation

Implementation Timeline

Effective Date: September 1, 2025
Compliance Deadline: September 1, 2026 (Hard deadline for incumbent trustees to complete training).
Agency Rulemaking:
TEA: Must publish the Parental Rights Handbook by January 1, 2026.
SBOE: Must release the Trustee Training Curriculum by April 1, 2026.
*Regulatory Gray Zone:* Between Jan 1 and April 1, 2026, the Handbook will be public, but the training to interpret it will not be available. Districts should consult counsel during this gap if parental grievances arise.

Immediate Action Plan

1. January 2026: Immediately audit the published TEA Parental Rights Handbook against current District grievance policies; identify discrepancies.
2. April 2026: Board Secretary must locate SBOE training materials and schedule a "Compliance Workshop" for the May or June board meeting.
3. August 2026: Finalize all trustee training records and ensure certificates are on file before the September 1 deadline.
4. Ongoing: Update the District website to include the mandatory link to the TEA Handbook.

Operational Changes Required

Contracts

Superintendent Agreements: Review performance metrics regarding "Board Relations" or "Compliance." Ensuring the Board completes this training is now a measurable performance standard for the Superintendent.
Policy Service Vendors: Contracts with policy maintenance firms (e.g., TASB) must be utilized to update local policy manuals (specifically BBD Series) to reflect the new state-mandated curriculum.

Hiring/Training

Trustee Training: This is a mandatory addition to the Continuing Education (CE) matrix.
Incumbents (seated before Jan 1, 2026): Must complete training by Sept 1, 2026.
New Trustees (seated on/after Jan 1, 2026): Must complete training within their standard orientation window (typically 120 days, pending SBOE rules).

Reporting & Record-Keeping

Public Disclosures: Districts must link the TEA Parental Rights Handbook prominently on the district website and in student/parent guides.
Meeting Minutes: Completion of this training must be announced and recorded in the minutes of the last regular board meeting prior to an election.
Audit Trail: Maintain individual certificates of completion for all trustees to defend against "deliberate indifference" claims in future litigation.

Fees & Costs

Direct Costs: Negligible. The state provides the curriculum.
Indirect Costs: Budget for legal counsel to review the TEA Handbook against local grievance policies (FNG Local) to identify conflicts.

Strategic Ambiguities & Considerations

Recurrence of Training: The statute requires trustees to "complete training" but does not explicitly state if this is a one-time certification or an annual requirement. Expect SBOE rulemaking to clarify if re-elected trustees must retake the course.
Handbook vs. Local Policy: The TEA Handbook will define "parental rights" in plain language. If this definition diverges from your local policy interpretation (particularly regarding library materials or medical privacy), the TEA Handbook—as agency guidance—will likely supersede local policy in the eyes of a court.
Enforcement Penalties: The bill lacks specific monetary fines. Enforcement will occur through public disclosure (shaming) in board minutes and potential TEA investigations into governance standards.

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Legislative Timeline

This bill's path through the Texas Legislature

TopicsEducation Education--primary & Secondary Education--primary & Secondary--general Education--school Districts Parental Rights Staff Development & Training Education Agency, Texas Education, State Board of

Official Analysis

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BILL ANALYSIS

Senate Research Center	S.B. 204
89R783 JTZ-D	By: Paxton
	Education K-16
	2/24/2025
	As Filed

AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT

Currently, the rights of parents and guardians regarding their children's education are in numerous chapters of the Texas Education Code, Health and Safety Code, and Code of Federal Regulations. The various places parental rights are found in Texas statutes presents navigational challenges for parents who may be unaware of their rights. Even if the relevant statute is found, the right may not be easily discernable since they are not always written in plain language, creating further difficulty for a concerned parent to determine if one's rights have been violated.

To empower parents, this bill creates an easily accessible, plain-language, searchable online handbook as one centralized place to find parental rights to provide the most convenience and clarity for parents.

Additionally, this bill mandates school board members to receive specific training on parents' rights to help ensure that these rights are respected.

As proposed, S.B. 204 amends current law relating to a handbook on parental rights in education and training requirements on parental rights in education for a member of the board of trustees of a school district.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

This bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, institution, or agency.

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1. Amends Section 11.159, Education Code, by adding Subsection (b-2) as follows:

(b-2) Requires the State Board of Education (SBOE) to require a trustee to complete training on the rights of a parent regarding the education of the parent's child. Requires SBOE, with assistance from the Texas Education Agency (TEA), to develop the curriculum and materials for the training.

SECTION 2. Amends Chapter 26, Education Code, by adding Section 26.0025, as follows:

Sec. 26.0025. PARENTAL RIGHTS HANDBOOK. (a) Requires TEA to create and maintain a handbook that explains all rights of a parent regarding the education of the parent's child, including a student's rights that the parent is authorized to enforce on the student's behalf.

(b) Requires that the handbook meet certain criteria.

SECTION 3. (a) Requires SBOE, not later than January 1, 2026, to develop and make available the training required by Section 26.0025, Education Code, as added by this Act, and requires TEA to create the parental rights in education handbook required by Section 26.0025, Education Code, as added by this Act.

(b) Requires a member of the board of trustees of a school district who takes the oath of office before January 1, 2026, not later than April 1, 2026, to complete the training on parental rights in education required by Section 11.159(b-2), Education Code, as added by this Act.

SECTION 4. Effective date: September 1, 2025.

Senate Authors

Sen. Angela PaxtonRepublican · Primary Author

House Sponsors

Rep. Terri Leo-WilsonRepublican · Primary Sponsor

Joint Sponsors

Cosponsors (4)

Bill Text(with markup)

S.B. No. 204

View bill text in multiple formats on Texas Legislature website

Fiscal NoteView Original

	AN ACT
	relating to a handbook on parental rights in education and training
	requirements on parental rights in education for a member of the
	board of trustees of a school district.
	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
	SECTION 1. Section 11.159, Education Code, is amended by
	adding Subsection (b-2) to read as follows:
	(b-2) The State Board of Education shall require a trustee
	to complete training on the rights of a parent regarding the
	education of the parent's child. The state board, with assistance
	from the agency, shall develop the curriculum and materials for the
	training.
	SECTION 2. Chapter 26, Education Code, is amended by adding
	Section 26.0025 to read as follows:
	Sec. 26.0025. PARENTAL RIGHTS HANDBOOK. (a) The agency
	shall create and maintain a handbook that explains all rights of a
	parent regarding the education of the parent's child, including a
	student's rights that the parent may enforce on the student's
	behalf.
	(b) The handbook must be:
	(1) written in plain language;
	(2) updated on an annual basis to reflect any relevant
	changes in applicable law or agency guidance; and
	(3) made publicly available in a searchable format on
	the agency's Internet website.
	SECTION 3. (a) Not later than January 1, 2026, the Texas
	Education Agency shall create the parental rights in education
	handbook required by Section 26.0025, Education Code, as added by
	this Act.
	(b) Not later than April 1, 2026, the State Board of
	Education shall develop and make available the training required by
	Section 11.159(b-2), Education Code, as added by this Act.
	(c) Not later than September 1, 2026, a member of the board
	of trustees of a school district who takes the oath of office before
	January 1, 2026, shall complete the training on parental rights in
	education required by Section 11.159(b-2), Education Code, as added
	by this Act.
	SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.

LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
Austin, Texas

FISCAL NOTE, 89TH LEGISLATIVE REGULAR SESSION


February 26, 2025

TO:	Honorable Brandon Creighton, Chair, Senate Committee on Education K-16

FROM:	Jerry McGinty, Director, Legislative Budget Board

IN RE:	SB204 by Paxton (Relating to a handbook on parental rights in education and training requirements on parental rights in education for a member of the board of trustees of a school district.), As Introduced

No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

It is assumed that any costs associated with the bill could be absorbed using existing resources.

Local Government Impact

No significant fiscal implication to units of local government is anticipated.

Source Agencies:

701 Texas Education Agency

LBB Staff:

JMc, NC, ASA, ANa

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Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about SB204

What does Texas SB204 do?

SB204 mandates the Texas Education Agency (TEA) to publish a plain-language Parental Rights Handbook and requires the State Board of Education (SBOE) to develop mandatory training on these rights for all School District Trustees. School Boards must operationalize this by integrating the handbook into district communications and ensuring all sitting trustees complete the new training module to avoid liability for "failure to train" in parental grievance disputes. Implementation Timeline Effective Date: September 1, 2025 Compliance Deadline: September 1, 2026 (Hard deadline for incumbent trustees to complete training).

Who authored SB204?

SB204 was authored by Texas Senator Angela Paxton during the Regular Session.

When was SB204 signed into law?

SB204 was signed into law by Governor Greg Abbott on June 20, 2025.

Which agencies enforce SB204?

SB204 is enforced by Texas Education Agency (TEA) and State Board of Education (SBOE).

How urgent is compliance with SB204?

The compliance urgency for SB204 is rated as "moderate". Businesses and organizations should review the requirements and timeline to ensure timely compliance.

What is the cost impact of SB204?

The cost impact of SB204 is estimated as "low". This may vary based on industry and implementation requirements.

What topics does SB204 address?

SB204 addresses topics including education, education--primary & secondary, education--primary & secondary--general, education--school districts and parental rights.

Legislative data provided by LegiScanLast updated: November 25, 2025

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