(The Center Square) – A Texas Parental Bill of Rights measure has been filed in the Texas Senate.
It’s part of a series of education bills filed by state Sen. Brandon Creighton, R-Conroe, who chairs the Senate Education Committee. The bills are legislative priorities of Gov. Greg Abbott and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick.
Creighton is filing a series of education related bills this legislative session. His bill to create the state’s first Education Savings Account already passed the Texas Senate nearly unanimously. His Teacher Bill of Rights legislation unanimously passed the Texas Senate on Wednesday.
SB 12, the Texas Parental Bill of Rights, is designed to increase transparency, empower parental involvement and enshrine “common-sense principles into law” that are “crucial to counteract instances where bad actors have undermined parental rights,” Creighton said.
“Too often, a few outliers push their own political agendas over the well-being of our students,” he added. “It is past time for Texas law to reaffirm that parents are, and will always be, the chief decision-makers in their child’s education.”
SB 12 affirms that “Parents have a clear right to direct the moral, religious, and educational upbringing of their children.”
The bill strengthens parental rights through a number of measures. It states that school districts “cannot infringe on parental rights unless justified under strict scrutiny,” and requires schools to promptly notify parents “when a criminal offense has been committed against their child, with exceptions for suspected abuse cases,” according to the bill analysis.
It would require the Texas Education Agency to develop a process for school districts to notify parents about changes in their child’s mental or physical health status.
The bill states that parents “have the right to select an educational setting and access all student records, including medical records.” This includes requiring school districts to provide parents access to their child’s curriculum details, library materials, medical records, test scores, attendance records, teacher evaluations, and any threats to their mental or physical safety. It would require parental consent for participation in certain school activities, to receive healthcare services, or have medical/biometric information stored.
The bill would allow parents to opt in or out of specific programs like sex education, and establishes open communication channels between parents, teachers, and administrators. It also would require districts to notify parents of their opt-out rights for certain instruction, health-related services, and biometric data collection. It would establish Class A misdemeanor penalties for districts that allow health-care services to be provided to students without parental consent that results in bodily injury.
The bill also would require school boards to adopt parental engagement policies, hold meetings outside of normal workday hours, and provide online portals for public comment. It also would create an appeals process for parental grievances with the principal, superintendent, school board and Texas Education Agency.
The bill also reforms the student transfer process, including standardizing open-enrollment and district-to-district transfers with clear criteria for approvals, denials, and prioritization. Denials are required to be based on capacity limits or documented discipline concerns, not “equity.”
It also would require schools to use a lottery system when applications exceed capacity and prioritize returning students, dependents of district employees, military, or law enforcement personnel, and siblings of current students. The bill also prohibits districts from charging tuition for normal student transfers but allows agreements with fees for specific inter-district student services.
Notably, the bill would eliminate Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) mandates in all K–12 public schools and charter schools. It defines and prohibits DEI duties “including race-based or gender-based hiring preferences, compelled DEI statements, and ideological influence.” It requires school districts to implement discipline policies for violations, including firing those who don’ t comply.
“Our youngest students deserve learning environments that inspire them to explore, lead, and grow – not ones that label them as victims or oppressors,” Creighton said. “Texas schools should empower every child to reach their fullest potential. SB 12 sends a clear message: DEI initiatives in curriculum or hiring practices are not acceptable, and any district that violates state or federal law will face consequences.”
Creighton also filed SB 1565, which defines and prohibits DEI policies from being implemented in K-12 public schools and charter schools. It also establishes an annual compliance certification process for parental grievances and hearings related to DEI, and consequences for school superintendents.
In the last legislative session, Creighton filed a higher education institution DEI ban, which Abbott signed into law. Abbott identified banning DEI statewide as a legislative priority earlier this month, saying, “We must purge it from every corner of our schools and return the focus to merit.”
