Greetings PTA leader,

Welcome to spring! We hope you had an opportunity to relax and create fun memories over Spring Break. As you get back into the swing of things, we don’t want you to miss these opportunities for some well-deserved recognition! 

With the Texas legislative session in full swing, we’ve also been busy. The Texas PTA Advocacy Committee has already evaluated a whopping 75 bills related to our priorities and public education. We are committed to building relationships that create meaningful, lasting change for all Texas students. Keep up with our testimony and read past newsletters online. 

Finally, thank you for your attention and responses to our Action Alerts. Your voice matters, and together, we’re making an impact!

Bill Filing Deadline Results in an Avalanche of Bills

March 14th was the 60th day of the session, and also the bill filing deadline. An unprecedented number of bills were filed.  Over 9,000 bills and joint resolutions were filed, a new record for the Texas Legislature.  From this point forward, unless a bill is purely local in nature, a legislator must secure the support of four-fifths of their colleagues to introduce new legislation.

Compared to the last regular session in 2023, both chambers exceeded the total number of bills introduced—by 360 in the Senate and 161 in the House. For context, only 16% of all legislation introduced in 2023 reached the Governor’s desk.

There are 1,234 bills affecting public education and children now listed in the Texas PTA bill tracker.

HB 124 by Rep. Bonnen would increase the per-student and per-campus safety allotments from 2023 by increasing the per-student safety allotment from $10 to $14, and the campus allotment from $15,000 to $37,000. Compare this with SB 260 which would increase the per-student safety allotment from $10 to $20, and the campus allotment from $15,000 to $30,000. HB 124 was heard in the House Public Education Committee on March 25.  SB 260 has passed the Senate.

In the February Under the dome, we detailed the House and Senate versions of voucher, or education savings account, bills. SB 2 was debated and passed by the Senate on February 5. After passage, SB 2 was sent from the Senate to the House, where it has been referred to the House Public Education Committee.  The House decided to first have hearings on its own voucher bill, HB 3. The House version was heard in committee on March 12, and left pending in committee.  It is thought that there will be a committee substitute to HB 3 soon, with changes made to the filed version. The House committee will need to vote in favor of the substitute to advance the bill to the House floor for debate by the full House.

The House and Senate both have bills to move the Texas tax-free weekend earlier to better align with most school start dates. Both SB 1415 by Sen. Hughes, and HB 1587 by Rep. Hull, would move the tax-free weekend for school supplies and clothing to an earlier date, the first Friday in August. SB 1415 was heard by the Senate Finance Committee on March 19, and was unanimously sent to the full Senate. HB 1587 was heard by the House Committee on Ways & Means on March 24.

This is obviously a topic that many legislators are interested in.  Almost a dozen bills have been filed that would limit or otherwise restrict cell phone use at schools.  The first to receive a hearing was HB 1481 by Rep. Fairly.  The bill as filed would prohibit the use of student cellphones during instructional time, while allowing local control over the development of additional policies. A committee substitute was offered during the hearing that would restrict cellphone usage for the school day. The bill was left pending in committee.

Many bills have been filed this session to regulate e-cigarettes in various ways:

There are also a few bills that would address the issue of penalties and detention for the possession, use, or delivery of e-cigarettes on or near public school, including HB 6, HB 4833, and SB 2220. Several of these bills are set for hearing soon, with others to be heard in the coming weeks.

The Senate Finance Committee has completed its initial proposal on the state’s biennial budget, and has sent SB 1 to the full Senate for debate and a vote. When it gets to the Senate floor, senators will have a chance to offer amendments to increase or decrease parts of the proposed spending.  The House version of the budget is still being considered in the House Appropriations committee.  It will most likely be voted out of the committee in early April.

Allen ISD Students Engage in the Legislative Process

On February 24, 2025, more than 2,000 PTA members gathered at the Texas Capitol for Texas PTA’s Rally Day. Among them were 80 participants from Allen ISD, including Superintendent Dr. Robin Bullock. 

For over a decade, the Allen ISD Council of PTAs has prioritized student involvement at this event. This year, 68 students from Allen High School, Lowery Freshman Center, and Allen’s three middle schools attended. The Council of PTAs collaborated with the high school principal and debate club to organize participation. High school students applied, while middle schoolers were selected by their principals. All students were PTA members.

Funded by the Allen ISD Council of PTAs and local PTAs, the Rally Day trip covered transportation, meals, and Rally Day t-shirts. Students had breakfast on the bus, lunch at the Capitol, and dinner on the way home during the seven-hour round trip. The experience aimed to educate students on the legislative process and advocacy.

Students met with Representatives Jeff Leach, Candy Noble, and Mihaela Plesa, with Leach taking them onto the House floor. Rachel Mitchell, Allen ISD PTSA President, shared, “The students gained firsthand experience in how their voices can make an impact and that elected officials are eager to hear their perspectives.”

Rachael Abell
Texas PTA VP Advocacy

PTA leaders across Texas each bring their distinct personalities and approaches to their roles. Whether assertive, cooperative, compassionate, or strategic, they all share a common commitment: to act in the best interest of children. Advocacy takes many forms, but the dedication to supporting our students and schools is a universal thread that unites all our PTA leaders.

Continue recruiting members. Our influence is directly related to the number of members we have when speaking to legislators.

How are your membership efforts going? What about others in your community? Check the Local Roster!

Know someone who cares about supporting students, teachers, and the future workforce? Encourage them to join a PTA! Membership provides resources and programs that make a real difference in schools and communities.