Relating to the creation of the Texas Commission on Teacher Job Satisfaction and Retention, the official text

H.B. No. 2243

AN ACT

relating to the creation of the Texas Commission on Teacher Job

Satisfaction and Retention.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

SECTION 1. Chapter 21, Education Code, is amended by adding

Subchapter P to read as follows:

SUBCHAPTER P. TEXAS COMMISSION ON TEACHER JOB SATISFACTION AND

RETENTION

Sec. 21.751. DEFINITION. In this subchapter, "commission"

means the Texas Commission on Teacher Job Satisfaction and

Retention.

Sec. 21.752. TEXAS COMMISSION ON TEACHER JOB SATISFACTION

AND RETENTION. (a) The Texas Commission on Teacher Job

Satisfaction and Retention is established to develop and make

recommendations for improving teacher job satisfaction and

retention.

(b) The commission is composed of 13 members, consisting of

the following:

(1) five members appointed by the governor;

(2) four members appointed by the lieutenant governor;

and

(3) four members appointed by the speaker of the house

of representatives.

(c) The members appointed by the governor must include at

least three people who are current or former classroom teachers

with at least 10 years of teaching experience.

(d) The appointments made by the lieutenant governor and the

speaker of the house of representatives must each consist of:

(1) three members of the applicable legislative

chamber; and

(2) an administrator in the public school system or an

elected member of the board of trustees of a school district.

(e) In making appointments under Subsections (b)(1), (2),

and (3), the governor, lieutenant governor, and speaker of the

house of representatives shall coordinate to ensure that the

membership of the commission reflects, to the extent possible, the

geographic diversity of this state.

Sec. 21.753. PRESIDING OFFICER. The governor shall

designate a member of the commission to serve as presiding officer

of the commission.

Sec. 21.754. COMPENSATION AND REIMBURSEMENT. A member of

the commission is not entitled to compensation for service on the

commission but is entitled to reimbursement for actual and

necessary expenses incurred in performing commission duties.

Sec. 21.755. COMMISSION PERSONNEL. The commission may hire

employees and hire or contract with legal counsel as necessary to

carry out the purposes of this subchapter.

Sec. 21.756. ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT AND FUNDING. (a)

Staff members of the agency shall provide administrative support

for the commission.

(b) If the agency employs a staff member whose sole duty is

to provide administrative support for the commission under this

section, the agency shall consult with the presiding officer or the

presiding officer's designee in the hiring or selection of the

staff member.

(c) Funding for the administrative, staffing, legal, and

operational expenses of the commission shall be provided by

appropriation to the agency for that purpose.

Sec. 21.757. PROCUREMENT. (a) The agency may procure goods

and services to support the commission's work, including research

and consulting services.

(b) The competitive bidding contract procedures established

by Chapters 2155, 2156, 2157, and 2158, Government Code, and the

requirements of Chapter 2254, Government Code, do not apply to a

contract awarded by the agency to implement this subchapter.

(c) For the purposes of procurement under Subsection (a),

the agency shall enter into a contract only if the contract is

approved by a majority vote of the commission's members.

Sec. 21.758. RECOMMENDATIONS. (a) The commission shall

develop recommendations under this subchapter to improve student

outcomes by addressing issues related to teacher job satisfaction

and retention, including:

(1) methods to reduce the paperwork and other

administrative burdens placed on teachers, including by evaluating

the effectiveness of Section 7.060 and other laws in reducing

paperwork for teachers;

(2) the impact of requirements in this code and

commissioner rules on administrative staffing levels in public

schools;

(3) methods to lessen administrative burdens in public

schools to focus more resources on supporting teachers;

(4) the impact of state and federal law relating to

student discipline on teacher job satisfaction and effectiveness;

(5) the impact of compliance with federal education

law on teacher job satisfaction and retention, including the impact

on teachers, public school students, and public primary and

secondary education programs in this state if this state were to

decline federal education funding; and

(6) the impact of an administrator's competency in

effectively discharging the administrator's duties on teacher job

satisfaction and effectiveness.

(b) The commission may establish one or more working groups

composed of not more than five members of the commission to study,

discuss, and address specific policy issues and recommendations to

refer to the commission for consideration.

Sec. 21.759. REPORT. Not later than December 31, 2026, the

commission shall prepare and deliver a report to the governor and

the legislature that recommends statutory changes to improve

teacher job satisfaction and retention.

Sec. 21.760. PUBLIC MEETINGS AND PUBLIC INFORMATION. (a)

The commission may hold public meetings as needed to fulfill its

duties under this subchapter.

(b) Commission meetings are not subject to Chapter 551,

Government Code.

(c) The commission is a governmental body for the purposes

of Chapter 552, Government Code.

Sec. 21.761. COMMISSION ABOLISHED; EXPIRATION. The

commission is abolished and this subchapter expires September 1,

2027.

SECTION 2. Not later than the 30th day after the effective

date of this Act, the appropriate persons shall make the

appointments required by Section 21.752, Education Code, as added

by this Act.

SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives

a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as

provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this

Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this

Act takes effect September 1, 2025.

______________________________
______________________________

President of the Senate
Speaker of the House

I certify that H.B. No. 2243 was passed by the House on May 7,

2025, by the following vote: Yeas 113, Nays 31, 1 present, not

voting; and that the House concurred in Senate amendments to H.B.

No. 2243 on May 29, 2025, by the following vote: Yeas 99, Nays 36,

2 present, not voting.

______________________________

Chief Clerk of the House

I certify that H.B. No. 2243 was passed by the Senate, with

amendments, on May 27, 2025, by the following vote: Yeas 21, Nays

10.

______________________________

Secretary of the Senate

APPROVED: __________________

Date

__________________

Governor