HB 4 Texas House · 89th Legislature (2025)

Relating to the assessment of public school students, public school accountability and actions, and proceedings challenging the operations of the public school system.

HB 4 restricts Texas public school districts and campuses from obtaining exemptions or waivers for specific requirements, including graduation standards, school accountability measures under Chapters 39 and 39A, health and safety rules, and programs for special education and bilingual students. The bill explicitly prohibits waivers for federal mandates, essential knowledge/skills, class size limits (except as allowed by law), extracurricular activities, and other key areas listed in the legislation. It also changes the appeal process for challenges to the commissioner's decisions, requiring appeals to be filed in Travis County district court with specific procedural steps. This bill directly affects school districts, the Texas Education Agency, and individuals seeking to challenge educational decisions.
Bill status passed both 4 of 5 stages cleared
Introduction
Feb 2025
Committee Review
May 2025
House Passage
May 2025
Senate Passage
May 2025
Governor
Introduced Feb 25, 2025 Last action May 29, 2025
Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

Introduced Engrossed · 7 edits · May 27, 2025
MODERATE
This bill amends the Texas Education Code to modernize the state's assessment program by reducing test burden, improving accessibility, and prioritizing instructionally supportive measures. Key changes include limiting supplemental instruction to two subjects per year, requiring teacher attendance at literacy academies for certain campuses, and establishing new assessment timing and duration limits. The bill also adds optional writing portfolio assessments and expands reporting requirements for early education data.
Scope change
The bill expands the scope of assessment program requirements to include specific literacy academy mandates and writing portfolio options, while narrowing certain assessment requirements through time limits and subject area restrictions.
REQUIREMENT

Limits supplemental instruction to two subject areas per school year, prioritizing mathematics and reading language arts when districts would otherwise exceed this limit.

Requires teachers at campuses failing to meet plan goals to attend literacy achievement academies, with priority given to teachers at campuses with 50% or more educationally disadvantaged students.

Establishes specific time windows for administering beginning-of-year, middle-of-year, and end-of-year assessments to standardize testing schedules.

Caps total assessment administration time at six hours and limits daily testing duration to 60-90 minutes depending on grade level.

Creates optional writing portfolio assessment as an alternative to traditional reading language arts assessment components.

Expands early education reporting requirements to include diagnostic reading instrument data and kindergarten readiness information.

ELIGIBILITY

Modifies criteria for transferring emergent bilingual students out of bilingual programs to include standardized test performance thresholds.

Floor votes · Senate May 27, 2025 · House May 13, 2025

How they voted

246
Passed
Total votes 30
May 27, 2025
D Democratic10
4 Yea 6 Nay
60% Nay
R Republican20
20 Yea
100% Yea
Vote distribution
All Yea All Nay Mixed No data
Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions
59
Key actions
17
Committee
13
Amendments
10
May 29, 2025
Upper · Passed
House requests conference committee-reported
upper
May 29, 2025
Lower · Passed
House requests conference committee
lower
May 29, 2025
Introduced
House refuses to concur in Senate amendments
lower
May 28, 2025
Introduced
Senate Amendments Analysis distributed
lower
May 28, 2025
Introduced
Senate Amendments distributed
lower
May 28, 2025
Lower · Passed
Senate passage as amended reported
lower
May 27, 2025
Upper · Passed
Passed
upper
May 25, 2025
Upper · Passed
Committee report printed and distributed
upper
May 25, 2025
Upper · Passed
Reported favorably as substituted
upper
May 23, 2025
Upper · Passed
Vote taken in committee
upper
May 22, 2025
Upper · Passed
Left pending in committee
upper
May 22, 2025
Upper · Passed
Testimony taken in committee
upper
May 14, 2025
Committee
Referred to Education K-16
upper
May 14, 2025
Introduced
Read first time
upper
May 14, 2025
Introduced
Received from the House
upper
May 13, 2025
Lower · Passed
Passed
lower
May 13, 2025
Amended
Amendment fails of adoption
lower
May 12, 2025
Lower · Passed
Passed to engrossment as amended
lower
May 12, 2025
Lower · Passed
Amended
lower
May 12, 2025
Lower · Passed
Amendment adopted as amended
lower
May 12, 2025
Amended
Amendment amended
lower
May 12, 2025
Introduced
Amendment(s) offered
lower
May 9, 2025
Lower · Passed
Committee report sent to Calendars
lower
May 8, 2025
Lower · Passed
Committee report distributed
lower
Apr 30, 2025
Lower · Passed
Reported favorably as substituted
lower
Apr 30, 2025
Lower · Passed
Testimony taken/registration(s) recorded in committee
lower
Feb 25, 2025
Committee
Referred to Public Education
lower
Feb 25, 2025
Introduced
Read first time
lower
5 primary · 86 co-sponsors

Sponsors

Role
Legislator
Party
State
District
P
Photo of Brad Buckley
Brad Buckley
RRepublican
TX
54
P
Photo of Diego Bernal
Diego Bernal
DDemocratic
TX
123
P
Photo of James Frank
James Frank
RRepublican
TX
69
P
Photo of Paul Bettencourt
Paul Bettencourt
RRepublican
TX
7
P
Photo of Trent Ashby
Trent Ashby
RRepublican
TX
9
Co
Photo of A.J. Louderback
A.J. Louderback
RRepublican
TX
30
Co
Photo of Adam Hinojosa
Adam Hinojosa
RRepublican
TX
27
Co
Photo of Angelia Orr
Angelia Orr
RRepublican
TX
13
Co
Photo of Angie Button
Angie Button
RRepublican
TX
112
Co
Photo of Ben Bumgarner
Ben Bumgarner
RRepublican
TX
63
Co
Photo of Brent Money
Brent Money
RRepublican
TX
2
Co
Photo of Briscoe Cain
Briscoe Cain
RRepublican
TX
128
Co
Photo of Brooks Landgraf
Brooks Landgraf
RRepublican
TX
81
Co
Photo of Candy Noble
Candy Noble
RRepublican
TX
89
Co
Photo of Carl Tepper
Carl Tepper
RRepublican
TX
84