Grassroots Priorities 2.0

SB27

3rd Reading in Other Chamber
Authored by Brandon Creighton (R)
View at Source

Caption: Relating to the rights of public school educators and assistance provided to public schools by the Texas Education Agency related to public school educators.
Initially Referred to Senate Education K-16 Committee, chaired by a Republican
Last Referred to House Public Education Committee, chaired by a Republican
This bill would cost taxpayers $111,851,753.00 over five years, according to the Legislative Budget Bureau.

Lt. Gov. Patrick Priority: Establishing a Teacher Bill of Rights
Gov. Abbott Priority: Teacher Pay Raise

SB 27 establishes new protections and assistance programs for public school educators in Texas. It mandates that school districts provide a duty calendar to teachers, counselors, and librarians before the start of each school year, detailing their expected workdays, including any supplemental duties required outside instructional hours. The bill modifies how salary reductions for unpaid leave are calculated based on the duty calendar. The bill also introduces new exceptions to penalties for teachers who resign after the 45-day deadline before the school year begins. Teachers who resign due to serious illness, relocation due to a spouse's job, family emergencies requiring relocation, or a reasonable belief they had permission to resign will not face disciplinary sanctions from the State Board for Educator Certification. Additionally, SB 27 creates a grant program to reimburse school districts for increased contributions to the Teacher Retirement System (TRS) when rehiring retired teachers. It allows the legislature to set eligibility criteria, such as requiring retirees to hold certain certifications or teach in designated high-need areas. The bill also expands teacher quality assistance, requiring the Texas Education Agency (TEA) to develop training on strategic compensation, staffing, retention efforts, and behavior management programs. TEA must also collect data on teacher vacancies, subject areas, and retention trends. For classroom management, the bill strengthens teachers' authority to remove disruptive, abusive, or bullying students from class. Principals may not return a removed student to the same teacher's class unless the teacher consents or a disciplinary review committee determines it is the only available option. The bill also creates an appeal process for students removed from class and modifies special education discipline procedures. Finally, SB 27 establishes a teacher time study program, requiring schools to assess whether teachers have enough time to complete their duties within normal work hours. TEA will provide technical assistance to help districts refine scheduling and workload policies.

Co-authors: A. Hinojosa (R); Birdwell (R); Campbell (R); Hagenbuch (R); Kolkhorst (R); Menendez (D); Middleton (R); Parker (R); Perry (R); Schwertner (R); West (D)
Sponsors: Buckley (R)

Feb 27, 2025

(S) Received by the Secretary of the Senate
(S) Filed

Feb 28, 2025

(S) Read first time
(S) Referred to the Senate Education K-16, chaired by a Republican

Mar 25, 2025

(S) Scheduled for public hearing on . . .
(S) Considered in public hearing
(S) Testimony taken in committee
(S) Vote taken in committee

Mar 31, 2025

(S) Reported favorably as substituted
(S) Committee report printed and distributed

Apr 1, 2025

(S) Middleton signed onto the bill as Coauthor
(S) Co-author authorized
(S) Placed on intent calendar

Apr 3, 2025

(S) A. Hinojosa signed onto the bill as Coauthor
(S) Schwertner signed onto the bill as Coauthor
(S) West signed onto the bill as Coauthor
(S) Kolkhorst signed onto the bill as Coauthor
(S) Hagenbuch signed onto the bill as Coauthor
(S) Campbell signed onto the bill as Coauthor
(S) Birdwell signed onto the bill as Coauthor
(S) Perry signed onto the bill as Coauthor
(S) Parker signed onto the bill as Coauthor
(S) Menendez signed onto the bill as Coauthor
(S) Co-author authorized
(S) Rules suspended-Regular order of business
(S) Read 2nd time
(S) Amendment(s) offered

20250403_SB27_FA1: Yea 31 (R 20, D 11) - Nay 0 (R 0, D 0)
Yea - A. Hinojosa; Alvarado; Bettencourt; Birdwell; Blanco; Campbell; Cook; Creighton; Eckhardt; Flores; Gutierrez; Hagenbuch; Hall; Hancock; Huffman; Hughes; J. Hinojosa; Johnson; King; Kolkhorst; Menendez; Middleton; Miles; Nichols; Parker; Paxton; Perry; Schwertner; Sparks; West; Zaffirini
You can view which lawmakers have received money from a specific PAC
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(S) Amended
(S) Vote recorded in Journal
(S) Amendment(s) offered

20250403_SB27_FA2: Yea 31 (R 20, D 11) - Nay 0 (R 0, D 0)
Yea - A. Hinojosa; Alvarado; Bettencourt; Birdwell; Blanco; Campbell; Cook; Creighton; Eckhardt; Flores; Gutierrez; Hagenbuch; Hall; Hancock; Huffman; Hughes; J. Hinojosa; Johnson; King; Kolkhorst; Menendez; Middleton; Miles; Nichols; Parker; Paxton; Perry; Schwertner; Sparks; West; Zaffirini
You can view which lawmakers have received money from a specific PAC
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(S) Amended
(S) Vote recorded in Journal
(S) Amendment(s) offered

20250403_SB27_FA3: Yea 31 (R 20, D 11) - Nay 0 (R 0, D 0)
Yea - A. Hinojosa; Alvarado; Bettencourt; Birdwell; Blanco; Campbell; Cook; Creighton; Eckhardt; Flores; Gutierrez; Hagenbuch; Hall; Hancock; Huffman; Hughes; J. Hinojosa; Johnson; King; Kolkhorst; Menendez; Middleton; Miles; Nichols; Parker; Paxton; Perry; Schwertner; Sparks; West; Zaffirini
You can view which lawmakers have received money from a specific PAC
by selecting the PAC from the list below:

(S) Amended
(S) Vote recorded in Journal
(S) Amendment(s) offered

20250403_SB27_FA4: Yea 31 (R 20, D 11) - Nay 0 (R 0, D 0)
Yea - A. Hinojosa; Alvarado; Bettencourt; Birdwell; Blanco; Campbell; Cook; Creighton; Eckhardt; Flores; Gutierrez; Hagenbuch; Hall; Hancock; Huffman; Hughes; J. Hinojosa; Johnson; King; Kolkhorst; Menendez; Middleton; Miles; Nichols; Parker; Paxton; Perry; Schwertner; Sparks; West; Zaffirini
You can view which lawmakers have received money from a specific PAC
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(S) Amended
(S) Vote recorded in Journal
(S) Amendment(s) offered

20250403_SB27_FA5: Yea 31 (R 20, D 11) - Nay 0 (R 0, D 0)
Yea - A. Hinojosa; Alvarado; Bettencourt; Birdwell; Blanco; Campbell; Cook; Creighton; Eckhardt; Flores; Gutierrez; Hagenbuch; Hall; Hancock; Huffman; Hughes; J. Hinojosa; Johnson; King; Kolkhorst; Menendez; Middleton; Miles; Nichols; Parker; Paxton; Perry; Schwertner; Sparks; West; Zaffirini
You can view which lawmakers have received money from a specific PAC
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(S) Amended
(S) Vote recorded in Journal
(S) Passed to engrossment as amended

20250403_SB27_E: Yea 31 (R 20, D 11) - Nay 0 (R 0, D 0)
Yea - A. Hinojosa; Alvarado; Bettencourt; Birdwell; Blanco; Campbell; Cook; Creighton; Eckhardt; Flores; Gutierrez; Hagenbuch; Hall; Hancock; Huffman; Hughes; J. Hinojosa; Johnson; King; Kolkhorst; Menendez; Middleton; Miles; Nichols; Parker; Paxton; Perry; Schwertner; Sparks; West; Zaffirini
You can view which lawmakers have received money from a specific PAC
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(S) Vote recorded in Journal
(S) Three day rule suspended
(S) Record vote
(S) Read 3rd time
(S) Passed

20250403_SB27_3R: Yea 31 (R 20, D 11) - Nay 0 (R 0, D 0)
Yea - A. Hinojosa; Alvarado; Bettencourt; Birdwell; Blanco; Campbell; Cook; Creighton; Eckhardt; Flores; Gutierrez; Hagenbuch; Hall; Hancock; Huffman; Hughes; J. Hinojosa; Johnson; King; Kolkhorst; Menendez; Middleton; Miles; Nichols; Parker; Paxton; Perry; Schwertner; Sparks; West; Zaffirini
You can view which lawmakers have received money from a specific PAC
by selecting the PAC from the list below:

(S) Record vote
(S) Reported engrossed

Apr 7, 2025

(H) Received from the Senate

Apr 17, 2025

(H) Read first time
(H) Referred to the House Public Education, chaired by a Republican

May 5, 2025

(H) Posting rule suspended

May 6, 2025

(H) Scheduled for public hearing on . . .

May 7, 2025

(H) Considered in public hearing
(H) Testimony taken/registration(s) recorded in committee
(H) Left pending in committee

May 9, 2025

(H) Considered in formal meeting
(H) Reported favorably w/o amendment(s)

May 12, 2025

(H) Comte report filed with Committee Coordinator
(H) Committee report distributed

May 13, 2025

(H) Committee report sent to Calendars

May 15, 2025

(H) Considered in Calendars

May 19, 2025

(H) Placed on General State Calendar
(H) Read 2nd time
(H) A Democrat amendment (No. 1) from Gonzalez, M. amended the bill.
(H) Passed to 3rd reading as amended
(H) Record vote

RV#2954: Yea 142 (R 85, D 57) - Nay 1 (R 1, D 0)
View Source
Yea - Alders; Allen; Ashby; Barry; Bell, C.; Bell, K.; Bernal; Bhojani; Bonnen; Bowers; Bryant; Buckley; Bucy; Bumgarner; Button; Cain; Campos; Canales; Capriglione; Cole; Collier; Cook; Craddick; Cunningham; Curry; Darby; Davis, A.; Davis, Y.; Dean; DeAyala; Dorazio; Dyson; Fairly; Flores; Frank; Gamez; Garcia Hernandez; Garcia, J.; Garcia, L.; Gates; Gerdes; Geren; Gervin-Hawkins; Gonzalez, J.; Gonzalez, M.; Goodwin; Guerra; Guillen; Harless; Harris; Harris Davila; Harrison; Hayes; Hefner; Hernandez; Hickland; Hinojosa; Holt; Hopper; Howard; Hull; Hunter; Isaac; Johnson; Jones, J.; Jones, V.; Kerwin; King; Kitzman; LaHood; Lambert; Landgraf; Leach; Leo Wilson; Little; Longoria; Lopez, J.; Lopez, R.; Louderback; Lozano; Lujan; Luther; Manuel; Martinez; Martinez Fischer; McLaughlin; McQueeney; Metcalf; Meyer; Meza; Money; Morales, C.; Morales, E.; Morales Shaw; Morgan; Munoz; Noble; Olcott; Oliverson; Ordaz; Orr; Patterson; Paul; Perez, M.; Perez, V.; Phelan; Pierson; Plesa; Raymond; Reynolds; Richardson; Rodriguez Ramos; Romero; Rose; Rosenthal; Schatzline; Schofield; Schoolcraft; Shaheen; Shofner; Simmons; Slawson; Smithee; Spiller; Swanson; Talarico; Tepper; Thompson; Tinderholt; Toth; Troxclair; Turner; VanDeaver; Villalobos; Virdell; Vo; Walle; Ward Johnson; Wharton; Wilson; Wu; Zwiener
Nay - Lowe
Absent - Moody
Present, Not Voting - Burrows; Vasut
You can view which lawmakers have received money from a specific PAC
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May 20, 2025

(H) Read 3rd time
(H) Passed
(H) Record vote

RV#3024: Yea 146 (R 86, D 60) - Nay 0 (R 0, D 0)
View Source
Yea - Alders; Allen; Anchia; Ashby; Barry; Bell, C.; Bell, K.; Bernal; Bhojani; Bonnen; Bowers; Bryant; Buckley; Bucy; Bumgarner; Button; Cain; Campos; Canales; Capriglione; Cole; Collier; Cook; Cortez; Craddick; Cunningham; Curry; Darby; Davis, A.; Davis, Y.; Dean; DeAyala; Dorazio; Dutton; Dyson; Fairly; Flores; Frank; Gamez; Garcia Hernandez; Garcia, J.; Garcia, L.; Gates; Gerdes; Geren; Gervin-Hawkins; Gonzalez, J.; Gonzalez, M.; Goodwin; Guerra; Guillen; Harless; Harris Davila; Harrison; Hayes; Hefner; Hernandez; Hickland; Hinojosa; Holt; Hopper; Howard; Hull; Hunter; Isaac; Johnson; Jones, J.; Kerwin; King; Kitzman; LaHood; Lalani; Lambert; Landgraf; Leach; Leo Wilson; Little; Longoria; Lopez, J.; Lopez, R.; Louderback; Lowe; Lozano; Lujan; Luther; Martinez; Martinez Fischer; McLaughlin; McQueeney; Metcalf; Meyer; Meza; Money; Moody; Morales, C.; Morales, E.; Morales Shaw; Morgan; Munoz; Noble; Olcott; Oliverson; Ordaz; Orr; Patterson; Paul; Perez, M.; Perez, V.; Phelan; Pierson; Plesa; Raymond; Reynolds; Richardson; Rodriguez Ramos; Romero; Rose; Rosenthal; Schatzline; Schofield; Schoolcraft; Shaheen; Shofner; Simmons; Slawson; Smithee; Spiller; Swanson; Talarico; Tepper; Thompson; Tinderholt; Toth; Troxclair; Turner; VanDeaver; Vasut; Villalobos; Virdell; Vo; Walle; Ward Johnson; Wharton; Wilson; Wu; Zwiener
Absent - Manuel
Present, Not Voting - Burrows; Harris
Please note: the following statements by legislators do not affect the vote count that was recorded.
Christian Manuel: "When Record No. 3024 was taken, I was in the house but away from my desk. I would have voted yes." (view other statements of vote for this Rep)
You can view which lawmakers have received money from a specific PAC
by selecting the PAC from the list below:

(S) House passage as amended reported

May 21, 2025

(S) Co-author authorized

(S) Buckley signed onto the bill as Sponsor

Lobbying Against/For/On This Bill

Against

(Tue 3/25/2025) Testifying before S Education K-16 as David Beinke for Cirkiel Law Group
(Tue 3/25/2025) Registering before S Education K-16 as Amanda Afifi for self (with Texas Association of School Psychologists (TASP))
(Tue 5/6/2025) Registering before H Public Education as Cassandra Hulsey for self (with Texas Association of School Psychologists (TASP))
(Tue 5/6/2025) Registering before H Public Education as Emily Witt for self
(Tue 5/6/2025) Registering before H Public Education as Eric Williams for self
(Tue 5/6/2025) Registering before H Public Education as Jakob Tawney for self
(Tue 5/6/2025) Registering before H Public Education as Juliette Thurber for self
(Tue 3/25/2025) Registering before S Education K-16 as Kaci Wright for Intercultural Development Research Association (IDRA)
(Tue 3/25/2025) Registering before S Education K-16 as Nick Rao for self
(Tue 3/25/2025) Registering before S Education K-16 as SARAH REYES for self (with Texas Center for Justice and Equity)
(Tue 5/6/2025) Registering before H Public Education as Sofia Sepulveda for self
(Tue 3/25/2025) Registering before S Education K-16 as Steven Aleman for Disability Rights Texas
(Tue 5/6/2025) Registering before H Public Education as Steven Deline for self

For

(Tue 3/25/2025) Testifying before S Education K-16 as Corina Bullock for self (with Texas Education Policy Institute (TEPI))
(Tue 3/25/2025) Testifying before S Education K-16 as Gabe Grantham for Texas 2036
(Tue 3/25/2025) Testifying before S Education K-16 as Kelsey Kling for self (with Texas American Federation of Teachers (AFT))
(Tue 5/6/2025) Testifying before H Public Education as Kelsey Kling for self (with Texas American Federation of Teachers (AFT))
(Tue 3/25/2025) Testifying before S Education K-16 as Pamela McPeters for Texas Classroom Teachers Association
(Tue 3/25/2025) Registering before S Education K-16 as Alison Brock for Texas Association of School Boards (TASB)
(Tue 5/6/2025) Registering before H Public Education as Carrie Griffith for Texas State Teachers Association (TSTA)
(Tue 5/6/2025) Registering before H Public Education as Clark Densin for self
(Tue 5/6/2025) Registering before H Public Education as Gabe Grantham for Texas 2036
(Tue 5/6/2025) Registering before H Public Education as Garry Jones for self (with Democrats for Education Reform (DFER))
(Tue 3/25/2025) Registering before S Education K-16 as Heather Sheffield for Association of Texas Professional Educators (ATPE)
(Tue 3/25/2025) Registering before S Education K-16 as James Hallamek for Texas State Teachers Association (TSTA)
(Tue 3/25/2025) Registering before S Education K-16 as Jeffrey Foley for self (with Texas Association of School Resource Officers (TASRO))
(Tue 5/6/2025) Registering before H Public Education as Jonathan Feinstein for Education Trust in Texas (EdTrust)
(Tue 3/25/2025) Registering before S Education K-16 as Matthew McCormick for Texas Public Policy Foundation (TPPF)
(Tue 5/6/2025) Registering before H Public Education as Matthew McCormick for Texas Public Policy Foundation (TPPF)

(Tue 3/25/2025) Testifying before S Education K-16 as Andrea Chevalier for Texas Council of Administrators of Special Education (TCASE)
(Tue 3/25/2025) Testifying before S Education K-16 as of Special Education for TCASE
(Tue 5/6/2025) Testifying before H Public Education as Sylvia Tanguma for self (with Texas American Federation of Teachers (AFT))
(Tue 5/6/2025) Registering before H Public Education as Andrea Chevalier for Texas Council of Administrators of Special Education (TCASE)
(Tue 3/25/2025) Registering before S Education K-16 as Andrew Hodge for Texas Education Agency
(Tue 5/6/2025) Registering before H Public Education as Chloe Latham Sikes for Intercultural Development Research Association (IDRA)
(Tue 5/6/2025) Registering before H Public Education as Crystal Tran for Texas Appleseed
(Tue 3/25/2025) Registering before S Education K-16 as Eric Marin for Texas Education Agency
(Tue 5/6/2025) Registering before H Public Education as Jessica Mcloughlin for Texas education agency
(Tue 3/25/2025) Registering before S Education K-16 as Jessica McLoughlin for Texas education agency
(Tue 3/25/2025) Registering before S Education K-16 as Kelsey Kling for Texas Coalition for Educator Preparation (TCEP)
(Tue 5/6/2025) Registering before H Public Education as Maia Volk for Disability Rights Texas
(Tue 3/25/2025) Registering before S Education K-16 as Quinn McCall for Texas Coalition for Educator Preparation (TCEP)
(Tue 5/6/2025) Registering before H Public Education as Sarah Reyes for Texas Center for Justice and Equity
(Tue 3/25/2025) Registering before S Education K-16 as Steve Swanson for self