HB 1759

relating to the duties of a public school counselor.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1.  Sections 33.006(a) and (b), Education Code, are
(a)  The primary responsibility of a school counselor is to
counsel students to fully develop each student's academic, career,
personal, [and] social, and emotional abilities.
(b)  In addition to a school counselor's responsibility
under Subsection (a), the school counselor shall:
(1)  participate in planning, implementing, and
evaluating a comprehensive developmental school counseling
[guidance] program to serve all students and to address the special
(A)  who are at risk of dropping out of school,
becoming substance abusers, participating in gang activity, or
(i)  choosing an unhealthy or inappropriate
(ii)  engaging in harmful behavior toward
(C)  who are in need of modified instructional
(D) [(C)]  who are gifted and talented, with
emphasis on identifying and serving gifted and talented students
who are educationally disadvantaged;
(2)  consult with a student's parent or guardian and
make referrals as appropriate in consultation with the student's
(3)  consult with school staff, parents, and other
community members to help them increase the effectiveness of
student education and promote student success;
(4)  coordinate people and resources in the school,
(5)  with the assistance of school staff, interpret
standardized test results and other assessment data that help a
student make educational and career plans;
(6)  deliver classroom guidance activities or serve as
a consultant to teachers conducting lessons based on the school's
(7)  serve as an impartial, nonreporting resource for
interpersonal conflicts and discord involving two or more students,
including accusations of bullying under Section 37.0832.
SECTION 2.  This Act applies beginning with the 2025-2026
SECTION 3.  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.