Texas Senate bill by Sen. Bettencourt outlines eligibility for contract employees in public schools

Passed bill authored by State Sen. Paul Bettencourt aims to establish eligibility requirements for contract employees in public schools, ensuring they meet specified standards and are not disqualified by certain convictions or misconduct reports, according to the Texas Legislature website.

In the Senate, 10 Democrats and 20 Republicans voted in favor of the bill, while one Democrat opposed it.

Meanwhile, in the House, 43 Democrats and 83 Republicans voted in favor, while 10 Democrats 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 reporting and investigation of certain misconduct and child abuse and neglect; creating a criminal offense’.

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

In essence, this bill amends the Texas Education Code to outline the eligibility criteria for certain contract employees providing services at public schools. It specifies that individuals employed by entities contracting with school districts must not have felony or specific misdemeanor convictions that would disqualify them under existing regulations, nor be listed for misconduct in the interagency reportable conduct system. The bill mandates equal access to the employment eligibility registry for various educational and private entities, enabling them to verify the qualifications of potential employees or contractors. Additionally, specific provisions in Sections 22.0834(a-1), (l), and 22.0834(p)(2) are repealed to align with these modifications. The bill’s changes will apply only to contracts entered into on or after the effective date, which is immediate upon receiving a two-thirds majority vote in both legislative houses or otherwise on Sept. 1, 2025.

The bill was co-authored by Sen. Donna Campbell (Republican – District 25), Sen. Brandon Creighton (Republican – District 4), and Sen. Brian Birdwell (Republican – District 22), along with 11 other authors.

The bill received its final legislative approval on Friday, May 30, and was signed into law by Gov. Greg Abbott on Friday, June 20.

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.