Bill Text: TX SB197 | 2025-2026 | 89th Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: Relating to training requirements for public school board of trustees members and superintendents regarding the adoption of a trauma-informed school standard.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced) 2024-11-12 - Filed [SB197 Detail]
Download: Texas-2025-SB197-Introduced.html
| 89R3958 JDK-D | ||
| By: Menéndez | S.B. No. 197 | |
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| relating to training requirements for public school board of | ||
| trustees members and superintendents regarding the adoption of a | ||
| trauma-informed school standard. | ||
| BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
| SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 11, Education Code, is | ||
| amended by adding Section 11.004 to read as follows: | ||
| Sec. 11.004. TRAINING FOR SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS AND | ||
| SUPERINTENDENTS REGARDING TRAUMA-INFORMED SCHOOL STANDARD. (a) | ||
| Each member of the board of trustees and the superintendent of a | ||
| school district must complete an agency-approved course of | ||
| instruction regarding the adoption and administration of a | ||
| trauma-informed school standard. A course required under this | ||
| section must be completed: | ||
| (1) by a school board member, on election or | ||
| reelection; or | ||
| (2) by a superintendent, every four years. | ||
| (b) A course of instruction described by Subsection (a) must | ||
| provide information, relevant to and within the scope of the duties | ||
| of a school board member or superintendent, regarding: | ||
| (1) recognition of and care for trauma in students and | ||
| educators; | ||
| (2) the relationship between educator wellness and | ||
| student learning; | ||
| (3) the effect of trauma on student behavior and | ||
| learning; | ||
| (4) the prevalence of trauma among students, including | ||
| the prevalence of trauma among student populations at higher risk | ||
| of experiencing trauma; | ||
| (5) the effects of implicit or explicit bias on | ||
| recognizing trauma among various racial or ethnic groups of | ||
| students; and | ||
| (6) effective district and campus policies and | ||
| practices shown to: | ||
| (A) prevent and mitigate the negative effect of | ||
| trauma on student behavior and learning; and | ||
| (B) support the emotional wellness of educators. | ||
| (c) A school district shall submit for agency approval any | ||
| course of instruction identified by the district as satisfying the | ||
| requirements of Subsection (b). | ||
| (d) The agency may approve both in-person and online courses | ||
| of instruction to satisfy the requirements of this section, | ||
| including courses provided by community-based nonprofit | ||
| organizations with expertise concerning trauma-informed school | ||
| standards. | ||
| (e) The State Board of Education shall propose rules that | ||
| allow: | ||
| (1) a school board member to satisfy the training | ||
| requirements under Section 11.159 for completion of the training | ||
| required under this section; and | ||
| (2) a superintendent to receive credit toward the | ||
| superintendent's continuing education requirements under Section | ||
| 21.054 for completion of the training required under this section. | ||
| SECTION 2. Not later than December 1, 2025, the Texas | ||
| Education Agency shall approve one or more courses of instruction | ||
| to satisfy the training requirements of Section 11.004, Education | ||
| Code, as added by this Act. | ||
| 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. | ||
