BILL ANALYSIS

Senate Research Center	H.B. 4361
89R15787 AND-D	By: Ward Johnson et al. (Zaffirini)
	Education K-16
	5/13/2025
	Engrossed

AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT

Currently, institutions of higher education are required to issue emergency notifications during campus incidents, but there are no clear statewide standards for how quickly those alerts must be sent. As a result, delays in issuing notifications have expressed concerns among students and campus communities regarding safety and response times.

H.B. 4361 would require the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board to adopt standardized procedures for the timely issuance of emergency notifications at public colleges and universities. The rules must be developed in consultation with administrators, faculty, staff, and students and apply to each institution's existing alert system. This bill would improve consistency and responsiveness in campus emergency communications, helping protect students, staff, and visitors during urgent situations.  

H.B. 4361 amends current law relating to establishing policies regarding the timely issuance of emergency notifications at public institutions of higher education.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

Rulemaking authority is expressly granted to the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board in SECTION 1 (Section 61.070, Education Code) of this bill.

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1. Amends Subchapter C, Chapter 61, Education Code, by adding Section 61.070, as follows:

Sec. 61.070. COORDINATION OF EMERGENCY NOTIFICATIONS. Requires the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB), in consultation with administrators, faculty, staff, and students at institutions of higher education, to adopt rules regarding standardized procedures for timely issuing emergency notifications in accordance with the Jeanne Clery Campus Safety Act (20 U.S.C. Section 1092(f)), including emergency alerts through the system required under Section 51.218 (Emergency Alert System).

SECTION 2. Requires THECB to adopt the rules required by Section 61.070, Education Code, as added by this Act, as soon as practicable after the effective date of this Act.

SECTION 3. Effective date: upon passage or September 1, 2025.