SB 26 Texas Senate · 89th Legislature (2025)

Relating to public education, including the rights and compensation of public school educators and funding for teacher compensation under the Foundation School Program.

SB 26 establishes new requirements for Texas public school districts and charter schools regarding teacher evaluation, compensation, and support. It creates an "enhanced teacher incentive allotment" designation for schools implementing performance-based evaluation systems, requiring them to use appraisals to determine teacher designations, offer performance-linked pay (without automatic raises), and place effective teachers at high-need campuses. The bill also creates a grant program to help districts expand local teacher designation systems and provides free liability insurance and rights assistance for classroom teachers through a contracted third party. These provisions directly affect school districts, charter schools, principals, instructional staff, and all public school teachers in Texas.
Bill status passed 2 of 4 stages cleared
Introduction
Feb 2025
Committee Review
Apr 2025
Senate Failed
Feb 2025
Governor
Introduced Feb 18, 2025 Last action Apr 9, 2025
Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

Introduced Engrossed · 8 edits · Feb 26, 2025
MODERATE
This bill updates Texas teacher designation and compensation laws by adding new teacher categories, establishing new funding allotments, and creating a grant program to support local optional teacher designation systems. The changes expand teacher incentives, modify salary schedules based on performance, and add protections for teacher rights and dues deductions.
Scope change
The bill expands the scope of teacher designation systems to include new categories (nationally board certified, enhanced teacher incentive allotment schools) and extends eligibility for certain funding allotments to additional teacher designations.
ELIGIBILITY

Added new teacher designation categories including 'nationally board certified' and 'enhanced teacher incentive allotment schools' with specific criteria and expiration dates.

Expanded prekindergarten enrollment eligibility to include children of classroom teachers at schools offering prekindergarten classes.

FISCAL

Increased funding allotments for master, exemplary, recognized, and acknowledged teachers, with new amounts ranging from $3,000 to $36,000 depending on designation level.

Created new teacher retention allotment of $5,000-$10,000 per teacher based on experience level and district size, effective 2025-2026.

REQUIREMENT

Added requirement that districts must implement locally designed plans to place highly effective teachers at high needs campuses.

Added new grant program to support local optional teacher designation systems, including technical assistance and model examples.

TECHNICAL

Added new section providing liability insurance and legal assistance for classroom teachers, including protections for First Amendment rights.

TIMELINE

Established September 1, 2025 and September 1, 2028 as key implementation and expiration dates for various provisions.

Floor votes · Senate Feb 26, 2025

How they voted

1020
Failed
Total votes 30
Feb 26, 2025
D Democratic10
10 Yea
100% Yea
R Republican20
20 Nay
100% Nay
Vote distribution
All Yea All Nay Mixed No data
Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions
29
Key actions
7
Committee
6
Amendments
4
Apr 9, 2025
Committee
Referred to Public Education
lower
Apr 9, 2025
Introduced
Read first time
lower
Feb 27, 2025
Introduced
Received from the Senate
lower
Feb 26, 2025
Upper · Passed
Passed
upper
Feb 26, 2025
Upper · Passed
Passed to engrossment as amended
upper
Feb 26, 2025
Amended
Amendment fails of adoption
upper
Feb 26, 2025
Upper · Passed
Amended
upper
Feb 26, 2025
Introduced
Amendment(s) offered
upper
Feb 24, 2025
Upper · Passed
Committee report printed and distributed
upper
Feb 24, 2025
Upper · Passed
Reported favorably as substituted
upper
Feb 20, 2025
Upper · Passed
Vote taken in committee
upper
Feb 20, 2025
Upper · Passed
Testimony taken in committee
upper
Feb 18, 2025
Committee
Referred to Education K-16
upper
Feb 18, 2025
Introduced
Read first time
upper
1 primary · 19 co-sponsors

Sponsors