School Mental Health Legislation

A picture of the Texas Capitol building in Austin, Texas.

The Texas Legislature passes bills that direct the implementation of certain policies or practices for school mental health in Texas. The following list includes selected legislation and associated education code that may support implementation.

Recent Texas Legislation

House Bill 159

HB 159 updates the requirements of educator preparation programs to integrate instruction on topics related to special education, including requirements related to mental health, substance use, youth suicide.

House Bill 1525

HB 1525 (incorporated from HB 332 and SB 2004) allows school districts to use compensatory education allotment on programs for at-risk students that are intended to build student skills related to managing emotions, positive relationships, and decision-making.

Senate Bill 123

SB 123 integrates social emotional learning skills into current law relating to instruction in positive character traits and personal skills in kindergarten through 12^th grade. The competencies include self-management skills, interpersonal skills, social awareness, responsible decision-making skills, and self-awareness.

Senate Bill 168

SB 168 requires school districts to adopt trauma-informed methods and policies to support the mental health of students when conducting active shooter drills on school campuses.

Senate Bill 179

SB 179 amends current law [TEC 33.006] to require that school counselors spend at least 80 percent of their time performing counseling duties, defined as under the Texas Comprehensive School Counseling Program [TEC Sec 33.005].

Senate Bill 279

SB 279 requires suicide prevention contact information to be added to student identification cards in grades 7-12, as well as community colleges and public universities.

Senate Bill 2050

SB 2050 amends current law [TEC 37.0832] to require districts to develop a policy that prevents and mediates bullying incidents and requires annual reporting of bullying incidents, and those that included cyberbullying.

House Bill 2093

HB 2093 expands the definition of “non-physician mental health professional” to include a physician assistant who has expertise in psychiatry or is currently working in a mental health facility. This amendment allows physician assistants to be hired under HB 19.

Senate Bill 11

SB 11 amends current law to revise and expand the duties of school districts, TEA, and the Texas School Safety Center regarding multi-hazard emergency operation plans and school safety measures. The bill creates the Texas Child Mental Health Care Consortium. The bill establishes the Threat Assessment and Safe and Supportive School Program and Team and requires each ESC to use a rubric developed by TEA to identify resources related to student mental health to schools in the ESC’s region.

House Bill 3980

HB 3980 required HHSC, in conjunction with DSHS, to prepare a summary report on the prevalence of suicide in the state and state policies and programs across state systems and agencies to prevent suicide. The report can be found here.

House Bill 19

HB 19 calls for Local Mental Health Authorities to hire an individual to serve as a mental health and substance abuse resource for school districts. One LMHA within each ESC region will hire a non-physician mental health professional (NPMHP). A report on the outcomes is available here.

House Bill 18

HB 18 amends state law to require that district improvement plans include evidence-based practices to address the needs of students, including adding positive behavior interventions and support and grief- and trauma-informed care. The bill also specifies additional training requirements for certain school employees and requires training programs be identified from an approved best practice list. TEA, in collaboration with HHSC, developed a list here.

House Bill 906

HB 906 establishes a public school mental health task force to study and evaluate mental health services funded by the state and provided at school district or open-enrollment charter schools. The initial report can be found here.

House Bill 2184

HB 2184 requires that an alternate education program provide written notice of a student’s release from the program to the student’s parent or person standing in the parental role and the administrator of the student’s campus. The bill also requires a school administrator to develop a personalized transition plan for the student returning from an alternative education program to a regular classroom.