The bill, S.B. No. 645, seeks to amend the definition of bullying within the Texas Education Code to explicitly include antisemitism. The proposed changes involve adding antisemitism to the existing definition of bullying, which encompasses acts that exploit power imbalances and can cause physical or emotional harm to students. Additionally, the bill introduces a new definition of antisemitism, describing it as conduct based on a perception of Jews that may manifest as hatred, including both rhetorical and physical acts directed at individuals, their property, or community institutions.

The bill stipulates that these changes will take effect starting with the 2025-2026 school year. It also outlines that the act will become effective immediately if it receives a two-thirds majority vote from both houses of the Texas Legislature; otherwise, it will take effect on September 1, 2025.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: Education Code 37.0832 (Education Code 37)