This blog is part of our 89th Legislative Session Recap series. Click here to learn more about how the bills passed this session will affect you & your community.
Official Bill Caption
Relating to parental rights in public education, to certain public school requirements and prohibitions regarding instruction, diversity, equity, and inclusion duties, and social transitioning, and to student clubs at public schools.
What it Does
SB 12 takes effect September 1, 2025, and prohibits:
- diversity, equity, and inclusion practices in public schools, including “developing or implementing policies, procedures, trainings, activities, or programs that reference race, color, ethnicity, gender identity, or sexual orientation.”
- school district employees from supporting a student in “social transitioning,” which could include referring to a transgender student by their chosen name.
- “instruction, guidance, activities, or programming regarding sexual orientation or gender identity to students” from pre-k through 12th grade.
- student clubs based on sexual orientation or gender identity, such as PFLAG or Gay-Straight Alliance.
Why it Matters
Every young person deserves a school environment where they are seen, supported, and allowed to thrive. SB 12 attempts to erase Black, brown, LGBTQIA+, immigrant, and Indigenous narratives in our classrooms. It intimidates educators from teaching history truthfully, discussing identity honestly, and honoring the wishes of transgender students and their parents. And it removes critical sources of support for LGBTQIA+ youth. This bill is a calculated attempt to censor teachers, disempower students, and stifle honest conversations in Texas classrooms.
What’s Next
Our partners at ACLU of Texas and SEAT (Students Engaged in Advancing Texas) have filed a lawsuit over the unconstitutional aspects of SB 12. For our part, Texas Freedom Network will educate Texans about the new policy, track the effects on our students, and organize at the Texas State Board of Education, ensuring Texans have a voice when student curriculums are debated and voted upon.
