H.B. No. 7 is a comprehensive bill aimed at enhancing parental rights in public education and establishing the Office of Inspector General at the Texas Education Agency. The bill introduces several new provisions, including mandatory policies for school districts to inform parents of their rights regarding their child's education, obtain parental consent for psychological examinations, and provide annual updates on board trustee information. It also emphasizes parental rights to select schools, access educational records, and requires school districts to disclose instructional plans at the beginning of each semester. Additionally, the bill revises existing sections to improve clarity and compliance, particularly regarding educator misconduct reporting and the assignment of uncertified teachers.

The legislation further establishes a formal grievance policy for school districts, replacing "complaints" with "grievances" and requiring boards of trustees to adopt grievance procedures that comply with newly added regulations. The Office of Inspector General is empowered to investigate complaints from parents, ensuring accountability and transparency in public education. The bill also outlines the appeals process for grievances, mandates reporting requirements for law enforcement regarding investigations involving school employees, and introduces new categories of misconduct that must be reported. Overall, H.B. No. 7 aims to strengthen parental involvement, enhance communication between educational institutions and law enforcement, and ensure a safe and accountable educational environment for students.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: Education Code 7.057, Education Code 11.1518, Education Code 26.004, Education Code 26.006, Education Code 26.009, Education Code 26.011, Education Code 28.004, Subtitle D, Title , Education Code 43.24, Education Code 39.003, Family Code 261.001, Family Code 261.103, Family Code 261.104, Family Code 261.105, Family Code 261.301, Family Code 261.304, Family Code 261.308, Family Code 261.402, Education Code 7.028, Education Code 12.0271, Education Code 12.0631, Education Code 12.104, Education Code 12.1059, Education Code 12.1151, Education Code 12.252, Education Code 21.054, Education Code 21.0585, Education Code 22.0815, Education Code 22.0825, Education Code 22.0833, Education Code 22.0834, Education Code 22.0836, Education Code 33.913, Education Code 39.0302, Health and Safety Code 810.003, Health and Safety Code 810.004, The following provisions of the Education Code 33.913 (Education Code 39, Education Code 12, Education Code 22, Subtitle D, Title , Education Code 43, Education Code 11, Family Code 261, The following provisions of the Education Code 33, Education Code 28, Education Code 26, Education Code 33, Health and Safety Code 810, Education Code 21, Education Code 7)
House Committee Report: Education Code 11.1518, Education Code 12.104, Education Code 26.004, Education Code 26.006, Education Code 26.009, Education Code 26.011, Education Code 28.004, Education Code 39.003, Subchapter B, Chapter , Education Code 43.24, Education Code 21.0585, Family Code 261.001, Family Code 261.101, Family Code 261.103, Family Code 261.104, Family Code 261.105, Family Code 261.301, Family Code 261.304, Family Code 261.308, Family Code 261.402, Family Code 261.406, Education Code 7.028, Education Code 12.0271, Education Code 12.0631, Education Code 12.1059, Education Code 12.1151, Education Code 12.252, Education Code 13.051, Education Code 21.054, Education Code 22.0815, Education Code 22.0825, Education Code 22.0833, Education Code 22.0834, Education Code 22.0836, Education Code 29.022, Education Code 33.913, Education Code 37.006, Education Code 39.0302, Health and Safety Code 810.003, Health and Safety Code 810.004, The following provisions of the Education Code 33.913 (Education Code 39, Education Code 12, Education Code 22, Subchapter B, Chapter , Education Code 43, Subtitle D, Title , Education Code 43, Education Code 11, Education Code 29, Family Code 261, The following provisions of the Education Code 33, Education Code 28, Education Code 26, Education Code 33, Health and Safety Code 810, Education Code 37, Education Code 21, Education Code 7, Education Code 13)