Texas House Bill 6, signed by Governor Abbott on June 20, 2025, takes effect for the 2025-2026 school year, rewriting student discipline rules under Chapter 37 of the Texas Education Code. The House passed the bill 124-20 on April 16, 2025; the Senate passed it 29-2 on May 22, 2025; and the House concurred in Senate amendments 114-19 on May 28, 2025, according to Texas Legislature Online.
Key changes to teacher authority and student sanctions
The law adds bullying as a new ground for teacher removal of a student from class, joining the existing grounds of repeated interference with learning and unruly or abusive behavior, according to the enrolled bill text. Teachers may now remove a student based on a single incident, removing the prior requirement that interference be documented as repeated. The law also eliminates the three-day cap on in-school suspension, though placements must be reviewed at least every 10 school days.
For students below third grade, out-of-school suspension is now authorized for conduct that threatens immediate health or safety, documented repeated or significant disruption, weapons offenses, and certain drug or alcohol offenses. Previous law limited such suspensions to conduct containing elements of a violent offense. Additionally, most mandatory expulsion offenses no longer require that the conduct occur on school property or at a school-sponsored activity; expulsion is required regardless of location.
The Texas Education Agency published its required parent overview, titled 'Overview of School Discipline for Parents,' on August 12, 2025, and districts are required to provide it to students and parents. The agency also issued an administrative letter detailing the changes, which include prohibiting TEA from withholding state funding based on the number of students disciplined.
District-level adoption underway
Cy-Fair Independent School District presented an updated student code of conduct at a board work session on August 7, 2025, listing seven key changes from HB 6. Among them were removal of the in-school suspension cap, additional out-of-school suspension criteria for students below grade three, expanded single-incident teacher removal authority, and expanded grounds for mandatory disciplinary alternative education program placement and expulsion. Board adoption was planned for August 11, according to Community Impact.
Navarro Independent School District's board considered on July 21, 2025 whether to adopt the optional parental involvement policy created by new section 37.0014 of the education code. District administration recommended against adoption, stating that existing disciplinary alternative education program intake and review practices already involve parents and allow for placement reduction. The board agenda item noted the decision was at the board's discretion.
Advocacy group raises concerns
The Intercultural Development Research Association, an education advocacy organization, published an analysis of the law stating that students may be removed from class more quickly than before and after only one incident or without supporting documentation. The group also said students face sanctions for an increased list of vague conduct offenses that may be connected to age-appropriate behavior or a manifestation of a disability. IDRA noted that disability protections under Section 37.004 for students receiving special education services were not removed by the law. This analysis is not peer-reviewed.