Bill Text: TX SB191 | 2025-2026 | 89th Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: Relating to the adoption of a healthy and safe school water plan by public schools.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced) 2024-11-12 - Filed [SB191 Detail]
Download: Texas-2025-SB191-Introduced.html
| 89R3179 PRL-D | ||
| By: Menéndez | S.B. No. 191 | |
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| relating to the adoption of a healthy and safe school water plan by | ||
| public schools. | ||
| BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
| SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 38, Education Code, is | ||
| amended by adding Section 38.037 to read as follows: | ||
| Sec. 38.037. HEALTHY AND SAFE SCHOOL WATER PLAN. (a) In | ||
| this section, "water source" means any running water tap that is | ||
| used for drinking or food preparation. | ||
| (b) Each school district shall adopt a healthy and safe | ||
| school water plan. The plan must include provisions for: | ||
| (1) periodic testing for lead in school water sources; | ||
| and | ||
| (2) reducing exposure to elevated levels of lead in | ||
| school water sources. | ||
| (c) If the results of a school water source test for lead | ||
| show a level of lead that exceeds 15 parts per billion, the school | ||
| district must restrict access to the water source within 48 hours of | ||
| learning of the test results. The district must determine and | ||
| mitigate the source of the lead contamination, and a subsequent | ||
| test for lead must show a level of lead below 15 parts per billion | ||
| before access to the water source is returned to normal. | ||
| (d) The agency, in collaboration with the Texas Commission | ||
| on Environmental Quality, the Department of State Health Services, | ||
| regional education service centers, and other stakeholders, shall | ||
| develop a model healthy and safe school water plan that a school | ||
| district may use to comply with the requirements of this section. | ||
| (e) To the extent that funds are available to the agency for | ||
| the purpose, the agency shall develop a program under which the | ||
| agency reimburses a school district for testing lead concentrations | ||
| in school water sources. | ||
| SECTION 2. (a) Not later than December 31, 2025, the Texas | ||
| Education Agency shall develop the model healthy and safe school | ||
| water plan required by Section 38.037, Education Code, as added by | ||
| this Act. | ||
| (b) Not later than September 1, 2026, each school district | ||
| and open-enrollment charter school shall adopt a healthy and safe | ||
| school water plan as required by Section 38.037, Education Code, as | ||
| added by this Act, and Section 12.104(b)(3)(K), Education Code, as | ||
| applicable. | ||
| SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it 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, this | ||
| Act takes effect September 1, 2025. | ||
