Texas PTA Legislative Priorities
88th Legislative Session

Texas PTA is proud to continue building upon our long-standing legacy of advocating to make every child’s potential a reality within the following pillars: Supporting Student Success, Health and Safety, Meaningful Assessment and Accountability, and Strengthening Public Schools.

View the Texas PTA Priorities Bill Tracker

Public School Funding System Pursue legislation that increases the basic allotment and funds public education based on enrollment versus attendance.

Vouchers Oppose legislation that authorizes state funds to be used to pay for private school tuition and related costs.

Teacher and Staff Shortage and Retention Pursue legislation that addresses teacher and staff shortages and improves retention.

Student Mental Health Pursue mental health legislation, including systems to identify students in need of intervention, and programs and services designed to help keep students mentally strong and prepared to cope with personal challenges.

A-F Accountability System Pursue legislation impacting the state’s A-F system. Advocate for an accountability system that more broadly reviews school performance and includes a family engagement component.

View the Texas PTA Legislative Priorities One-Pager
Vea la página sobre las prioridades legislativas de Texas PTA

In addition to our lead initiatives, Texas PTA will support legislation around the following issues. Each of these priorities is critically important to children in Texas. READ additional Fact Sheets.

• Providing State Funding for Alternative Disciplinary Placement Plans: Support legislation that provides that a student with repeat violent offenses on campus has their alternate educational placement costs funded by the state rather than their school district.
  
  
• Addressing Charter School Accountability: Support legislation requiring charter schools to guarantee parents the same rights and responsibilities as traditional public schools.
  
  
• Addressing COVID-19 Learning Loss: Support legislation that addresses learning loss due to the COVID-19 pandemic and puts more control at the local level.
  
  
• Eliminating Cyberbullying: Support continued enforcement of David’s Law and new legislation related to cyberbullying.
  
  
• Supporting Digital Connectivity for All: Support legislation and funding to ensure all Texas public school students have access to reliable digital connectivity and devices.
  
  
• Reducing Distracted Driving: Support legislation that strengthens distracted driving laws to reduce the number of motor vehicle crashes affecting children.
  
  
• Addressing Drug Overdose on Campus: Support legislation that addresses drug overdoses on campuses.
  
  
• Decriminalizing Victims of Human Trafficking: Support legislation that waives criminal responsibility for children and youth when criminal activity results from exploitation by a trafficker. Continue monitoring the state’s 2019 clemency initiative for victims of human trafficking.
  
  
• Providing Local Control and Parental Opt-Out for Library Books: Support legislation that continues to allow each school district to determine what books are in its libraries and ensure school districts have a process for parents to decide what books their children can access at their campus. 
  
  
• Fully Funding the School Meal Program: Support legislation that funds free breakfast and lunch for all public school students in Texas.
  
  
• Increasing School Safety: Support increased funding for school safety and local control to determine what additional safety measures are needed in each school district.
  
  
• Reducing the School-to-Prison Pipeline: Support comprehensive reform of the juvenile justice system, increasing the age of adult criminal responsibility from 17 to 18, and policies that reduce the school-to-prison pipeline.
  
  
• Providing Medically Accurate Sex Education with Parental Opt-Out: Support legislation that includes medically accurate information about sex education in public schools in 8th grade and higher and allows parents to opt-out if they prefer their student not receive that education.
  
  
• Providing Adequate Special Education Services: Support TEA’s 2018 Special Education Strategic Plan, the corrective action taken after an investigation by the Department of Education, to ensure Texas school systems properly identify, locate, evaluate and provide timely access to special education services for all children with disabilities.
  
  
• Reducing Emphasis on and Number of State Assessments: Support a reduced emphasis on state-mandated testing that penalizes the student rather than guiding instruction and identifying learning problems. Eliminate tests not required by federal law.
  
  
• Banning Flavored and Regulating Vaping Devices: Support legislation to regulate the sale of e-cigarette products, ban flavors in e-cigarette products and combustible tobacco, and support a tax on e-cigarette products.
  
  

Texas PTA Testimony During 88th Legislative Session

Texas PTA's oustanding volunteer Board of Directors have used their thunderous voices to testify on critical public education bills on behalf of our nearly half-million PTA members statewide. Click the images below to watch their testimonies.

 The 87th Legislative Session: View a summary of Texas PTA's legislative work in the 87th Session here.
The 86th Legislative Session: View a summary of Texas PTA's legislative work in the 86th Session here.