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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to a policy prohibiting public school employees from |
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assisting a student with social transitioning; authorizing a civil |
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penalty; authorizing injunctive relief. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Chapter 11, Education Code, is amended by adding |
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Subchapter I to read as follows: |
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SUBCHAPTER I. ASSISTANCE WITH SOCIAL TRANSITIONING PROHIBITED |
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Sec. 11.401. SCHOOL DISTRICT POLICY: ASSISTANCE WITH SOCIAL |
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TRANSITIONING PROHIBITED. (a) In this subchapter, "social |
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transitioning" means a person's transition from the person's |
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biological sex at birth to the opposite biological sex through the |
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adoption of a different name, different pronouns, or other |
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expressions of gender that deny or encourage a denial of the |
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person's biological sex at birth. |
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(b) The board of trustees of a school district shall adopt a |
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policy prohibiting an employee of the district from assisting a |
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student enrolled in the district with social transitioning, |
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including by providing any information about social transitioning |
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or providing guidelines intended to assist a person with social |
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transitioning. |
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(c) A parent of a student enrolled in the district or a |
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district employee may report to the board of trustees of the |
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district a suspected violation of the policy adopted under |
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Subsection (b). The board shall investigate any suspected |
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violation and determine whether the violation occurred. If the |
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board determines that a district employee has assisted a student |
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enrolled at the district with social transitioning, the board shall |
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immediately report the violation to the commissioner. |
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Sec. 11.402. INJUNCTIVE RELIEF; CIVIL PENALTY. The |
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attorney general may file a suit against a school district for: |
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(1) injunctive relief to prevent or restrain a |
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violation of this subchapter; or |
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(2) a civil penalty in an amount determined by the |
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court for each violation of this subchapter. |
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SECTION 2. Section 12.104, Education Code, is amended by |
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adding Subsection (b-5) to read as follows: |
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(b-5) Section 11.401 applies to an open-enrollment charter |
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school as though the governing body of the school were the board of |
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trustees of a school district. |
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SECTION 3. This Act applies beginning with the 2025-2026 |
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school year. |
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SECTION 4. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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Act takes effect September 1, 2025. |