H.B. No. 2826 seeks to regulate political communications within educational institutions by prohibiting electioneering by officials and employees of school districts and open-enrollment charter schools. The bill introduces Chapter 22B to the Education Code, which explicitly bans electioneering activities and establishes a registry for individuals ineligible for employment in public schools due to electioneering violations. It also outlines the responsibilities of school boards to ensure compliance, mandates reporting of alleged violations, and imposes penalties for failure to report, including administrative fines. Additionally, individuals found to have engaged in electioneering may be restricted from employment in public schools, reinforcing accountability within the educational system.

The bill includes several amendments to the Education Code and Election Code, clarifying that activities conducted outside of work hours do not constitute the expenditure of public money and that violations related to political advertising can result in a Class A misdemeanor. It allows for the use of internal mail systems for distributing political advertising under certain conditions and exempts school district governing body members from specific restrictions regarding legislative measures outside their authority. The bill also repeals certain provisions of the Education Code and establishes that the new regulations will apply only to contracts entered into or renewed after its effective date. The bill will take effect immediately if it receives a two-thirds vote from both houses; otherwise, it will take effect on September 1, 2025.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: Education Code 11.061, Education Code 12.120, Education Code 22.092, Education Code 39.003, Election Code 251.001, Election Code 255.003, Election Code 255.0031, Government Code 572.059 (Government Code 572, Election Code 251, Education Code 11, Education Code 12, Education Code 39, Election Code 255, Education Code 22)