Regular Session
Government Affairs & Regulatory Compliance Analysis
SB571 mandates a centralized "Registry" of ineligible persons and criminalizes the failure to report misconduct for all Texas educational entities and their third-party service providers. This legislation shifts liability from civil negligence to criminal felony for administrators who conceal misconduct and imposes strict 48-hour reporting windows effective September 1, 2025.
Sen. Paul Bettencourt·Senate Bill·Regular Session
This legislation has regulatory implications for the following Texas businesses and organizations:
Significant regulatory changes (effective 2025-09-01). Review with your legal and compliance teams to understand implications.
Affected business types:
mediumModerate costs expected for implementation.
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Key implementation requirements and action items for compliance with this legislation
Existing Master Services Agreements (MSAs) with vendors (staffing, tutoring, transportation, janitorial) are legally insufficient. You must amend contracts to:
JD Key Consulting specializes in Texas regulatory compliance strategy. Work directly with James Dickey—former Chairman of the Republican Party of Texas—to understand this bill's impact on your operations and develop an actionable compliance plan.
Schedule a ConsultationInformation presented is for general knowledge only and is provided without warranty, express or implied. Consult qualified government affairs professionals and legal counsel before making compliance decisions.
This bill's path through the Texas Legislature
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Common questions about SB571
SB571 mandates a centralized "Registry" of ineligible persons and criminalizes the failure to report misconduct for all Texas educational entities and their third-party service providers. This legislation shifts liability from civil negligence to criminal felony for administrators who conceal misconduct and imposes strict 48-hour reporting windows effective September 1, 2025.
SB571 was authored by Texas Senator Paul Bettencourt during the Regular Session.
SB571 was signed into law by Governor Greg Abbott on June 20, 2025.
SB571 is enforced by Comptroller of Public Accounts, Local Law Enforcement Agencies, State Board for Educator Certification (SBEC), State Office of Administrative Hearings (SOAH) and Texas Education Agency (TEA).
The regulatory priority for SB571 is rated as "critical". Businesses and organizations should review the legislation to understand potential impacts.
The cost impact of SB571 is estimated as "medium". This may vary based on industry and implementation requirements.
SB571 addresses topics including education, education--primary & secondary, education--primary & secondary--general, family and family--child protection.
Key dates for SB571: Effective date is 2025-09-01. Rulemaking: Define 'inappropriate communications' and 'appropriate boundaries' with students/minors. (No specific date set; prior to enforcement); Adopt rules for placing/removing notices of alleged misconduct on certification records and establishing time limits for such notices. (No specific date set; prior to enforcement). Consult with legal co
SB571 establishes the following penalties: administrative penalty of $500 to $10,000 for Superintendent, director, or principal failing to file required misconduct reports or notifications by the statutory deadline.; administrative penalty of Non-renewal of certification for Educator failing to pay the administrative penalty for failure to report.; criminal penalty of State Jail Felony for Superintendent, director, or principal failing to file a report with intent to conceal an educator's or employee's criminal record or alleged misconduct.. Consult with legal counsel for specific applicability to your situation.
SB571 primarily affects employers and workforce development organizations, healthcare providers and medical facilities. These businesses should review the legislation with their legal and compliance teams to understand potential impacts.
JD Key Consulting is an Austin, Texas-based government affairs firm led by James Dickey, former Chairman of the Republican Party of Texas. We specialize in Texas regulatory compliance and legislative strategy for data centers, energy, banking, and manufacturing.
