Second-called Special Session
As of this writing, both the House and Senate have adjourned for the Labor Day weekend and will return next Tuesday. While legislation in this second-called special session continues to move quickly, several items on the Governor’s call are still in process. Only six bills have been sent to the Governor so far, with several bills that address his priorities still working their way through the process.
One of the bills still in process is House Bill 8 (the bill to eliminate the STAAR test) which was amended and passed by the House and then amended further and passed by the Senate. Since the two bills differ, the House must approve the Senate’s amended version or the bill will go to a conference committee to work out the differences. (We expect the House will concur with the Senate, sending the bill to the Governor for his signature to become law.) HB 8 specifies that STAAR will transition to another instructionally supportive assessment not later than the beginning of the 2027-2028 school year.
After bills impacting public education, like HB 8, are sent to the Governor’s desk for signature, you will find a summary of the key points in each bill on this webpage.
Legislative Corner is published periodically throughout the 89th Texas legislative session. For more information about RISD’s legislative involvement and priorities, please visit the legislative page here. Other resources include Texas Legislature Online (TLO) – find legislation (bills), committee hearings, legislative member info, and more; The Quorum Report – sign-up for “Daily Buzz” or a listing of political news articles; Texas Tribune – online daily news, also a data dashboard for education.
