88th Legislature Parental Choice Bills
The bishops’ criteria for supporting parental choice legislation includes the following:
- a preferential option for the poor and vulnerable, ensuring students with the greatest academic and financial need are first in line;
- academic accountability which requires accreditation and the administration of a norm- or criterion-referenced assessment each year (current practice at accredited schools);
- financial accountability through random audits of ESAs (Education Savings Account) by a third party; and
- protections for the privacy, autonomy and religious freedom of participating schools ensuring that educators are not required to modify their creed, practices, admissions policies, curriculum, performance standards, or assessments to serve ESA students.
Below are bills currently active in the 88th Texas Legislature with a brief description of each. Please consider contacting your representatives and encourage them to support these bills.
You can receive weekly updates about activities of the TCCB and legislation that addresses the bishops' priorities by signing up for our Texas Catholic Advocacy Network.
Bills on the move
These bills are high priority! Please call or write your legislators today to register your support!
Rep. James Frank HB 4340
This bill establishes an education savings account program to enable parents to pay for tuition and fees, uniforms, instructional materials, and other approved expenses outside the public school system. The bill prioritizes students with disabilities families of low and moderate income.
The TCCB supports this bill to increase access to educational options, especially for the poor and vulnerable.
Rep. Matt Shaheen HB 619
This bill creates a school choice corporate tax credit that would enable insurance companies to contribute to a non-profit scholarship for low income students to attend accredited private schools or for public school students to participate in after school care programs.
The TCCB supports this bill to increase parental choice in education.
Sen. Brandon Creighton SB 8 | Rep. James Frank HB 5261
This bill improves parental rights in public schools and creates an education savings account program which will allow $8,000 for current public school students to use toward private school tuition, tutoring, and educational expenses.
The TCCB supports this bill and urges improvement by prioritizing those with the greatest academic and financial needs.
Other bills regarding parental choice
Rep. Jacey Jetton HB 2817
This bill establishes an education savings account program to provide funding for approved education-related expenses for certain disadvantaged students, including students with a disability, covered by Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, or who failed to perform satisfactorily on an assessment instrument.
The TCCB supports this bill to increase access to educational options for educationally disadvantaged students.
Rep. James Frank HB 5267
This bill establishes an education savings account to provide funding for parents to choose private or homeschool for their children. If funding is limited it prioritizes children with disabilities and those with low to moderate incomes.
The TCCB supports this bill to increase access to educational options, especially for the poor and vulnerable.
Sen. Angela Paxton SB 2483
This bill establishes an education savings account to provide funding for parents to choose private or home school for their children. If funding is limited it prioritizes children on free and reduced lunch.
The TCCB supports this bill to assist parents with choosing the best educational options for their children and urges improvements, including additional levels of prioritization.
Sen. Mayes Middleton SB 176 | Rep. Brian Harrison HB 4807
This bill allows any student in the state to access parental choice subject to available funding and prioritizes students with disabilities if there is limited funding.
The TCCB supports this bill and encourages improvements to accountability and to prioritize students with the greatest academic and financial need.