Regular Session
Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board • Institution Title IX Offices
Key implementation requirements and action items for compliance with this legislation
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This bill's path through the Texas Legislature
BILL ANALYSIS
| Senate Research Center | S.B. 800 |
| By: Zaffirini | |
| Education K-16 | |
| 4/14/2025 | |
| As Filed |
AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT
Under current law, Texas postsecondary institutions are required to provide orientations covering policies on sexual harassment, sexual assault, dating violence, and stalking. These orientations, however, lack consistent standards for presenting information regarding Title IX coordinators, office locations, and available services, which may hinder students' understanding of how to access critical resources and support.
Accordingly, S.B. 800 directs postsecondary institutions to include a video in these orientations that clearly communicates the names and contact information of Title IX coordinators, office locations, and the services offered by the Title IX office. This change would establish a uniform and accessible method for institutions to provide essential information, enhancing students' awareness and access to these vital services.
As proposed, S.B. 800 amends current law relating to a public institution of higher education's orientation on the institution's sexual harassment, sexual assault, dating violence, and stalking policy.
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 51.282(c), Education Code, as follows:
(c) Provides that the orientation on a postsecondary educational institution's sexual harassment, sexual assault, dating violence, and stalking policy:
(1) makes no changes to this subdivision; and
(2) is required to include:
(A)� a video that states the names of the institution's Title IX coordinators and deputy coordinators, the location and contact information of the institution's Title IX office, and the services provided by the institution's Title IX office; and
(B) creates this paragraph from existing text and makes no further changes.
SECTION 2. Provides that Section 51.282(c), Education Code, as amended by this Act, applies beginning with the 2025�2026 academic year.
SECTION 3. Effective date: upon passage or September 1, 2025.
| S.B. No. 800 | ||
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| relating to a public institution of higher education's sexual | ||
| harassment, sexual assault, dating violence, and stalking | ||
| resources and policy orientation. | ||
| BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
| SECTION 1. Section 51.282(c), Education Code, is amended to | ||
| read as follows: | ||
| (c) Each postsecondary educational institution shall | ||
| require each entering freshman or undergraduate transfer student to | ||
| attend an orientation on the institution's sexual harassment, | ||
| sexual assault, dating violence, and stalking policy before or | ||
| during the first semester or term in which the student is enrolled | ||
| at the institution. The institution shall establish the format and | ||
| content of the orientation. The orientation: | ||
| (1) may be provided online; and | ||
| (2) must include: | ||
| (A) a video that states: | ||
| (i) the names of the institution's Title IX | ||
| coordinators and deputy coordinators; | ||
| (ii) the location and contact information | ||
| of the institution's Title IX office; | ||
| (iii) the services provided by the | ||
| institution's Title IX office; | ||
| (iv) how to report a sexual assault to the | ||
| institution; | ||
| (v) information regarding the crime | ||
| victims' compensation program; and | ||
| (vi) a list of local community and | ||
| statewide organizations that provide support services to survivors | ||
| of sexual assault; and | ||
| (B) the statements described by Subsection | ||
| (a)(1)(E). | ||
| SECTION 2. The heading to Section 51.91941, Education Code, | ||
| is amended to read as follows: | ||
| Sec. 51.91941. SUICIDE PREVENTION AND SEXUAL ASSAULT | ||
| INFORMATION REQUIRED ON STUDENT IDENTIFICATION CARD. | ||
| SECTION 3. Section 51.91941(b), Education Code, is amended | ||
| to read as follows: | ||
| (b) Each student identification card issued by an | ||
| institution of higher education: | ||
| (1) must have printed on the card the contact | ||
| information for: | ||
| (A) the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline; | ||
| [ |
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| (B) the Crisis Text Line; and | ||
| (C) the National Sexual Assault Hotline; and | ||
| (2) may have printed on the card the contact | ||
| information for: | ||
| (A) the campus police department or security for | ||
| the campus at which the student to whom the card is issued regularly | ||
| attends classes or, if the campus does not have a campus police | ||
| department or security, a local nonemergency police contact; | ||
| (B) the campus health clinic for the campus at | ||
| which the student to whom the card is issued regularly attends | ||
| classes or, if the campus does not have a health clinic, a local | ||
| health clinic; and | ||
| (C) a local suicide prevention hotline, if | ||
| available. | ||
| SECTION 4. Section 51.282(c), Education Code, as amended by | ||
| this Act, applies beginning with the 2025-2026 academic year. | ||
| SECTION 5. Section 51.91941(b), Education Code, as amended | ||
| by this Act, applies only to a student identification card issued on | ||
| or after the effective date of this Act. | ||
| SECTION 6. 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. | ||
| TO: | Honorable Brandon Creighton, Chair, Senate Committee on Education K-16 |
| FROM: | Jerry McGinty, Director, Legislative Budget Board |
| IN RE: | SB800 by Zaffirini (Relating to a public institution of higher education's orientation on the institution's sexual harassment, sexual assault, dating violence, and stalking policy.), As Introduced |
| Source Agencies: | 710 Texas A&M University System Administrative and General Offices, 717 Texas Southern University, 719 Texas State Technical College System Administration, 720 The University of Texas System Administration, 758 Texas State University System, 768 Texas Tech University System Administration, 769 University of North Texas System Administration, 781 Higher Education Coordinating Board, 783 University of Houston System Administration, 966 Howard College, 978 San Jacinto College |
| LBB Staff: | JMc, FV, LBO, GO |
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Common questions about SB800
SB800 imposes strict operational mandates on all Texas public institutions of higher education, requiring the immediate modification of student ID card templates and the production of specific video assets for freshman orientation. Compliance is mandatory for the 2025-2026 academic year, meaning procurement and production workflows must be initiated immediately to meet Fall 2025 deadlines. Implementation Timeline Effective Date: September 1, 2025.
SB800 was authored by Texas Senator Judith Zaffirini during the Regular Session.
SB800 was signed into law by Governor Greg Abbott on June 20, 2025.
SB800 is enforced by Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board and Institution Title IX Offices.
The compliance urgency for SB800 is rated as "critical". Businesses and organizations should review the requirements and timeline to ensure timely compliance.
The cost impact of SB800 is estimated as "low". This may vary based on industry and implementation requirements.
SB800 addresses topics including education, education--higher, education--higher--general, education--higher--institutions & programs and family.
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