SB 26

relating to public education, including the rights and compensation
of public school educators and funding for teacher compensation
under the Foundation School Program.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1.  Section 21.3521, Education Code, is amended by
amending Subsections (a), (c), and (e) and adding Subsections (d-1)
(a)  Subject to Subsection (b), a school district or
open-enrollment charter school may designate a classroom teacher as
a master, exemplary, [or] recognized, or acknowledged teacher for a
five-year period based on the results from single year or multiyear
appraisals that comply with Section 21.351 or 21.352.
(c)  Notwithstanding performance standards established
under Subsection (b), a classroom teacher that holds a National
Board Certification issued by the National Board for Professional
Teaching Standards may be designated as nationally board certified
(d-1)  Each school year, the commissioner shall, using
criteria developed by the commissioner, designate as enhanced
teacher incentive allotment schools school districts and
open-enrollment charter schools that implement comprehensive
school evaluation and support systems.  The criteria developed by
the commissioner must require a district or school to:
(1)  for principals and assistant principals,
(A)  a strategic evaluations system aligned with
the district's or school's teacher designation system; and
(B)  a compensation system based on performance;
(2)  ensure that under the district's or school's
teacher designation system substantially all classroom teachers,
regardless of the grade level or subject area to which the teacher
is assigned, are eligible to earn a designation under Subsection
(3)  implement for all instructional staff a
compensation plan based on performance that:
(A)  uses a salary schedule that differentiates
among instructional staff based on staff appraisals; and
(B)  does not include across-the-board salary
increases for instructional staff except for periodic changes to
the district's or school's salary schedule to adjust for
(4)  implement a locally designed plan to place highly
effective teachers at high needs campuses and in accordance with
(d-2)  The commissioner may remove a school district's or
open-enrollment charter school's designation under Subsection
(d-1) if the commissioner determines the district or school no
longer meets the criteria for the designation.
(e)  The agency shall develop and provide technical
assistance for school districts and open-enrollment charter
schools that request assistance in implementing a local optional
teacher designation system, including:
(1)  providing assistance in prioritizing high needs
(2)  providing examples or models of local optional
teacher designation systems to reduce the time required for a
district or school to implement a teacher designation system;
(3)  establishing partnerships between districts and
schools that request assistance and districts and schools that have
implemented a teacher designation system;
(4)  applying the performance and validity standards
established by the commissioner under Subsection (b);
(5)  providing centralized support for the analysis of
the results of assessment instruments administered to district
(6)  facilitating effective communication on and
promotion of local optional teacher designation systems.
SECTION 2.  Subchapter H, Chapter 21, Education Code, is
amended by adding Section 21.3522 to read as follows:
Sec. 21.3522.  LOCAL OPTIONAL TEACHER DESIGNATION SYSTEM
GRANT PROGRAM.  (a)  From funds appropriated or otherwise
available for the purpose, the agency shall establish and
administer a grant program to provide money and technical
(1)  expand implementation of local optional teacher
designation systems under Section 21.3521; and
(2)  increase the number of classroom teachers eligible
for a designation under that section.
(b)  A grant awarded under this section must:
(1)  meet the needs of individual school districts; and
(2)  enable regional leadership capacity.
(c)  The commissioner may adopt rules as necessary to
SECTION 3.  Subchapter I, Chapter 21, Education Code, is
amended by adding Section 21.417 to read as follows:
Sec. 21.417.  RESOURCES, INCLUDING LIABILITY INSURANCE, FOR
CLASSROOM TEACHERS.  (a)  From funds appropriated or otherwise
available for the purpose, the agency shall contract with a third
party to provide the following services for a classroom teacher
employed under a probationary, continuing, or term contract:
(1)  assistance in understanding the teacher's rights,
(2)  liability insurance to protect a teacher against
liability to a third party based on conduct that the teacher
allegedly engaged in during the course of the teacher's duties.
(b)  A school district may not interfere with a classroom
teacher's access to services provided under this section.
(c)  A contract entered into by the agency to provide
services under Subsection (a) must prohibit the entity with which
the agency contracts from using funds received under the contract
(1)  conduct that a state agency using appropriated
money is prohibited from engaging in under Chapter 556, Government
(2)  political activities or advocate for issues
regarding public schools, including for boards of trustees of
school districts or school districts.
(d)  This section may not be interpreted to interfere with a
classroom teacher's or other school district employee's exercise of
a right protected by the First Amendment to the United States
SECTION 4.  The heading to Section 22.001, Education Code,
Sec. 22.001.   SALARY DEDUCTIONS FOR PROFESSIONAL OR OTHER
SECTION 5.  Sections 22.001(a) and (b), Education Code, are
(a)  A school district employee is entitled to have an amount
deducted from the employee's salary for membership fees or dues to a
professional organization or an entity providing services to
classroom teachers under Section 21.417.  The employee must:
(1)  file with the district a signed written request
identifying the organization or entity [and specifying the number
of pay periods per year the deductions are to be made]; and
(2)  inform the district of the total amount of the fees
and dues for each year or have the organization or entity notify the
(b)  The district shall deduct the total amount of the fees
or dues for a year in equal amounts per pay period [for the number of
periods specified by the employee].  The district shall notify the
employee not later than the 45th day after the district receives a
request under Subsection (a) of the number of pay periods annually
from which the district will deduct the fees or dues.  The
deductions shall be made until the employee requests in writing
that the deductions be discontinued.
SECTION 6.  Section 29.153(b), Education Code, is amended to
(b)  A child is eligible for enrollment in a prekindergarten
class under this section if the child is at least three years of age
(1)  is unable to speak and comprehend the English
(2)  is educationally disadvantaged;
(3)  is homeless, regardless of the residence of the
child, of either parent of the child, or of the child's guardian or
other person having lawful control of the child;
(4)  is the child of an active duty member of the armed
forces of the United States, including the state military forces or
a reserve component of the armed forces, who is ordered to active
(5)  is the child of a member of the armed forces of the
United States, including the state military forces or a reserve
component of the armed forces, who was injured or killed while
(A)  the conservatorship of the Department of
Family and Protective Services following an adversary hearing held
as provided by Section 262.201, Family Code; or
(B)  foster care in another state or territory, if
the child resides in this state; [or]
(7)  is the child of a person eligible for the Star of
(A)  a peace officer under Section 3106.002,
(B)  a firefighter under Section 3106.003,
(C)  an emergency medical first responder under
Section 3106.004, Government Code; or
(8)  is the child of a person employed as a classroom
teacher at a public primary or secondary school in the school
district that offers a prekindergarten class under this section.
SECTION 7.  Section 48.112, Education Code, is amended by
amending Subsections (c), (d), and (i) and adding Subsection (g-1)
(c)  For each classroom teacher with a teacher designation
under Section 21.3521 employed by a school district, the school
district is entitled to an allotment equal to the following
applicable base amount increased by the high needs and rural factor
as determined under Subsection (d):
(1)  $12,000, or an increased amount not to exceed
$36,000 [$32,000] as determined under Subsection (d), for each
(2)  $9,000 [$6,000], or an increased amount not to
exceed $25,000 [$18,000] as determined under Subsection (d), for
(3)  $5,000 [$3,000], or an increased amount not to
exceed $15,000 [$9,000] as determined under Subsection (d), for
(4)  $3,000, or an increased amount not to exceed
$9,000 as determined under Subsection (d), for each:
(B)  nationally board certified teacher.
(d)  The high needs and rural factor is determined by
multiplying the following applicable amounts by the average of the
point value assigned to each student at a district campus under
(1)  $6,000 [$5,000] for each master teacher;
(2)  $4,000 [$3,000] for each exemplary teacher; [and]
(3)  $2,500 [$1,500] for each recognized teacher; and
(B)  nationally board certified teacher.
(g-1)  For a district that is designated as an enhanced
teacher incentive allotment school under Section 21.3521(d-1), the
commissioner shall increase the amount to which the district is
entitled under this section by multiplying that amount by 1.1.
(i)  A district shall annually certify that:
(1)  funds received under this section were used as
(A)  at least 90 percent of each allotment
received under Subsection (c) was used for the compensation of
teachers employed at the campus at which the teacher for whom the
district received the allotment is employed; [and]
(B)  for a district whose allotment was increased
under Subsection (g-1), the amount by which the allotment was
increased under that subsection was used to meet the criteria to
maintain a designation as an enhanced teacher incentive allotment
school under Section 21.3521(d-1); and
(C)  any other funds received under this section
were used for costs associated with implementing Section 21.3521,
including efforts to support teachers in obtaining designations;
(2)  the district prioritized high needs campuses in
the district in using funds received under this section.
SECTION 8.  Subchapter D, Chapter 48, Education Code, is
amended by adding Section 48.158 to read as follows:
Sec. 48.158.  TEACHER RETENTION ALLOTMENT.  (a) In this
section, "classroom teacher" has the meaning assigned by Section
5.001, except that the term also includes a person who is not
required to hold a certificate issued under Subchapter B, Chapter
21, who otherwise meets the definition of a classroom teacher under
(b)  A school district is entitled to an annual allotment for
each classroom teacher employed by the district in the school year
for which the allotment is provided as follows:
(1)  if the district has 5,000 or fewer students
(A)  $5,000 for each classroom teacher who has at
least three but less than five years of teaching experience; and
(B)  $10,000 for each classroom teacher who has
five or more years of teaching experience; and
(2)  if the district has more than 5,000 students
(A)  $2,500 for each classroom teacher who has at
least three but less than five years of teaching experience; and
(B)  $5,500 for each classroom teacher who has
five or more years of teaching experience.
(b-1)  In addition to the amount under Subsection (b)(2), a
school district described by that subdivision is entitled to an
allotment in the amount equal to $7,000 multiplied by the result of
dividing 5,000 by 14.5 if the school district received an allotment
in a previous school year under Subsection (b)(1).
(c)  For the 2025-2026 school year, a school district shall
use money received under Subsection (b) to increase the salary
provided to each classroom teacher in the district for that year
over the salary the teacher received or would have received if
employed by the district in the 2024-2025 school year by at least
the amount received per classroom teacher under Subsection (b).
(d)  For the 2026-2027 and each subsequent school year, a
school district shall use money received under Subsection (b) to
maintain the salary increases for classroom teachers provided under
Subsection (c). Any additional funding generated for a school
district under this section may only be used for the compensation of
classroom teachers employed by the district.
(e)  Notwithstanding any other law, the commissioner shall
exclude the funding to which a school district is entitled under
(1)  determining the amount by which the district must
reduce the district's tier one revenue level under Section 48.257;
(2)  calculating a school district's maintenance and
operations revenue under Section 48.277(a).
SECTION 9.  Sections 48.051(c), (c-1), (c-2), and (d),
SECTION 10.  Immediately following the effective date of
this Act, a school district or open-enrollment charter school shall
redesignate a teacher who holds a designation made under Section
21.3521, Education Code, before the effective date of this Act, to
reflect the teacher's designation under Section 21.3521, Education
Code, as amended by this Act.  Funding provided to a school district
under Section 48.112, Education Code, for a teacher who held a
designation made under Section 21.3521, Education Code, as that
section existed immediately before the effective date of this Act,
shall be increased to reflect the teacher's redesignation under
Section 21.3521, Education Code, as amended by this Act.
SECTION 11.  (a)  Except as provided by Subsection (b) of
this section, this Act takes effect immediately if this Act
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, the entirety of this Act takes effect September 1, 2025.
(b)  Sections 48.112(c) and (d), Education Code, as amended
by this Act, and Section 48.158, Education Code, as added by this
Act, take effect September 1, 2025.