Bill expanding Texas student discipline options awaits Gov. Abbott's signature

article

AUSTIN - A new bill has passed through both sides of the Texas legislature, aiming to increase options for student discipline in state schools.

Gov. Greg Abbott says he plans to sign the bill into law once it reaches his desk, calling the proposal "common sense."

Texas School Discipline Changes

The Proposal:

HB 6 would extend how long schools can place students on in-school suspension. Current law allows for three days; the proposed legislation would allow the suspension to last as long as schools deem appropriate, with principals required to review the placement every 10 days.

"Repeated and significant" classroom disruption or threats to the health and safety of other children could now be met with out-of-school suspension, in a reversal of prior state laws that limited the punishment's use.

Reporting by the Texas Tribune noted that the out-of-school suspension expansion would enable schools to discipline students experiencing homelessness, as well as students as young as kindergarten through the third grade.

The bill also changes punishments for students caught with vapes. Schools previously were required to send such students to alternative education facilities; now, first-time offenders can be given less severe punishments, and alternative education programs can be administered remotely. 

Lawmakers Approve Student Discipline

The Texas House of Representatives passed HB 6 in April, and the Senate approved it last Wednesday, May 21. 

The House has now approved 19 Senate amendments to the bill, sending it to the governor's desk to be signed into law.

What they're saying:

Abbott posted about HB 6 on X Wednesday night.

"The school discipline bill passed the Texas House & is headed to my desk," Abbott said. "It's common sense to give teachers the authority to remove disruptive students from classrooms. We must restore discipline in our schools."

The Texas Tribune quotes Sen. Charles Perry (R-Lubbock), who championed the bill in the Senate.

"Disruptions are impeding both the ability of teachers to teach and the ability of students to learn," Perry said.

Perry went on to say that the bill has been six years in the making.

"We’ve reached a crisis point where there’s just some kids that absolutely are such a deterrent to the overall learning process that we have to find a better way," Perry said. "With that, HB 6 found that balance. I like where we landed."

What's next:

As Abbott plans to approve the bill once it reaches his pen, it can be expected to take effect on Sept. 1.