BILL ANALYSIS

S.B. 784

By: King

Public Education

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

The 88th Texas Legislature enacted legislation that allowed children of peace officers to transfer to a different public school district or campus on request. However, the bill sponsor has informed the committee that some districts have claimed exception to that law. S.B. 784 seeks to address this issue by requiring districts to approve a requested transfer for such a student without exception. The bill also prohibits districts from charging transfer student tuition fees for these students, thereby eliminating financial obstacles.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.

ANALYSIS

S.B. 784 amends the Education Code to make the following changes with respect to the requirement for the board of trustees of a public school district or the board's designee, on request of a peace officer who is a parent of or person standing in parental relation to a student, to transfer the student to another district campus or to another district with which the sending district has a transfer agreement, as selected by the peace officer:

· remove as a condition for an out-of-district transfer that the districts have entered into a transfer agreement and provide for the transfer of the student to any district in Texas selected by the peace officer;

· require both the sending district and the receiving district to approve a requested transfer without exception; and

· prohibit a district from charging a transfer student tuition fee to a student who transfers to the district.

S.B. 784 prohibits a local innovation plan from providing for the exemption of a district designated as a district of innovation from statutory provisions relating to transfers of students who are the children of peace officers. This prohibition applies only to a local innovation plan adopted or renewed on or after the bill's effective date. A local innovation plan adopted or renewed before the bill's effective date is governed by the law in effect on the date the plan was adopted or renewed, and the former law is continued in effect for that purpose.

S.B. 784 applies beginning with the 2025-2026 school year.

EFFECTIVE DATE

On passage, or, if the bill does not receive the necessary vote, September 1, 2025.