Texas PTA Legislative Priorities

87th Legislative Session

Support Student Success

Public School Funding System Reform

Maintain funding for all components of House Bill 3, the comprehensive public school legislation adopted by the 86th Texas Legislature.

Special Education Funding

Monitor TEA’s Special Education Strategic Plan — corrective action taken after an investigation by the Department of Education.

Digital Connectivity for All

Pursue legislation and funding to ensure all Texas public school students have digital connectivity and devices.

Health and Safety

School Safety

Monitor school safety legislation, both implementation of laws enacted in 2019 and legislation filed in the 87th legislative session.

Vaping Regulation and Flavor Ban

Pursue passage of legislation to ban flavors in e-cigarettes and combustible tobacco, and to tax e-cigarettes, and increase the tax on traditional cigarettes.

Cyberbullying

Monitor implementation of David’s Law and any other legislation related to cyberbullying.

Student Mental Health

Monitor implementation of mental health legislation, including programs and services designed to help keep students mentally strong and prepared to cope, as well as systems to identify students in need of intervention. Monitor mental health legislation that is filed in the 87th legislative session.

Healthy Lifestyles

Support policies that reduce childhood obesity through education, healthy food choices, and physical activity.

Juvenile Justice Reform

Support legislation to increase the age of adult criminal responsibility from 17 to 18, and monitor funding for students in Juvenile Justice Alternative Education Programs.

Campus Immunization Reporting

Support legislation requiring school districts to report the number of unvaccinated students in each school so families can make the safest school-placement decision for medically vulnerable children.

Child and Youth Trafficking

Support legislation that waives criminal responsibility for children and youth when criminal activity results from exploitation by a trafficker. Monitor the state’s 2019 clemency initiative for victims of human trafficking.

Meaningful Assessment & Accountability

A-F Accountability System

Monitor legislation impacting the state’s A-F system. Advocate for an accountability system that more broadly reviews school performance and includes a family engagement component.

State Assessment

Advocate for reduced emphasis on state-mandated testing that penalizes the student rather than guide instruction and identify learning problems.

Strengthen Public Schools

Keep Public Dollars in Public Schools

Oppose legislation that authorizes state funds be used to pay for private school tuition and related costs.