Texas Senate bill by Sen. Bettencourt establishes provisions for virtual and hybrid education in public schools

Passed bill authored by State Sen. Paul Bettencourt aims to provide a framework for virtual and hybrid education in Texas public schools and to adjust attendance calculations to support district funding during emergencies, according to the Texas Legislature website.

In the Senate, 11 Democrats and 17 Republicans voted in favor of the bill, while two Republicans opposed it.

Meanwhile, in the House, 27 Democrats and 82 Republicans voted in favor, while 29 Democrats and three Republicans voted against it.

Paul Bettencourt introduced the bill in the Texas Senate on Thursday, Dec. 12, 2024, ahead of the official start of the 89th regular legislative session on Jan. 14, 2025.

Bettencourt graduated from Texas A&M University with a BS.

Bettencourt, a Republican, was elected to the Texas State Senate in 2015 to represent the state’s 7th Senate district, replacing previous state senator Dan Patrick.

According to the Texas Legislature, the bill’s official text was summarized as follows: ‘Relating to the provision of virtual education in public schools and to certain waivers and modifications by the commissioner of education to the method of calculating average daily attendance in an emergency or crisis for purposes of preserving school district funding entitlements under the Foundation School Program during that emergency or crisis; authorizing a fee’.

The following is our breakdown, based on the actual bill text, and may include interpretation to clarify its provisions.

In essence, this bill establishes provisions for virtual and hybrid education in Texas public schools and modifies how average daily attendance is calculated during emergencies to maintain district funding. It authorizes virtual and hybrid courses, allows for the establishment of full-time hybrid and virtual campuses, and includes guidelines to ensure courses meet quality standards. The bill mandates transparent communication about course options, protects student and teacher rights, and sets parameters for funding calculations. It facilitates the transition of homeless and substitute care students and considers virtual education as an alternative to expulsion under certain circumstances. Effective from the 2025-26 school year.

The bill was co-authored by Sen. Peter P. Flores (Republican – District 24), Sen. Angela Paxton (Republican – District 8), and Sen. Mayes Middleton (Republican – District 11), along with four other authors.

The bill received its final legislative approval on Thursday, April 17, and was signed into law by Gov. Greg Abbott on Tuesday, May 6.

Bills in Texas go through a multi-step legislative process, including committee review, debates, and votes in both chambers before reaching a final decision. Each session, there are typically thousands of bills introduced, but only a portion successfully navigate the process to become law.

You can read more about the bills and other measures here.