Legislative Priorities - 89th Session

The 89th Regular Session of the Texas Legislature ended June 2, 2025. Gov. Greg Abbott has called a Special Session to begin July 21, identifying several bills that were vetoed or filed without signature that will be placed on the agenda for further consideration. 

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The 89th Session TSNO Legislative Wrap-Up is now available. Click on the link below to view the list of bills that passed. All of these bills were signed by the governor, with effective dates listed. 

While we are aware that this is not a comprehensive list for bills that will affect schools, the bills listed here are ones TSNO identified that would primarily impact school health, student attendance related to health needs, and school nursing practice in Texas.

89th Session TSNO Legislative Wrap-Up

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TSNO's Legislative Priorities in 2025

Medication Access

  • Over-the-Counter Medication  - SB 920 signed by the Governor, effective 9/1/25 
  • Life-Saving Glucagon
  • Statewide Standing Orders for Rescue Meds

Emergency Response

  • Cardiac Emergency Response - SB 865 signed, 9/1/25
  • Updates to Stock Epinephrine Law - SB 1619 signed, effective 5/19/25

Healthy School Environment

  • Disease Prevention Through Vaccination
  • SHARS Billing for all Medicaid-Enrolled Students

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Partners' Priorities and Bill Tracking

Texas Coalition for Healthy Minds - Mental Health Matters

Partnership for a Healthy Texas - Conquering Obesity

Texas Public Health Coalition - Putting Public Health First

Michael & Susan Dell Center for Healthy Living - Healthy Children in a Healthy World

Texas Nurses Association - Elevating Nursing Practice

The Immunization Partnership - Promoting Public Health Through Immunization

Helpful Links

Texas Legislature Online - Your most up-to-date resource for bills filed, committee hearings, learning about the legislative process, and more

Who Represents Me? - Use this link to find out who represents you at both the State and Federal levels.

How a Bill Becomes a Law in Texas - This handbook includes all the details of the legislative process in Texas, with charts on pages 15-16 showing all the steps a bill must survive to become a law. 

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Advocacy is the deliberate process of influencing those who make decisions." - NASN

School nurses are healthcare professionals in an educational setting and frequently practice as the only healthcare professional in the setting. The role of the school nurse is not always understood by teachers, administrators, parents, elected officials, and the community at large. Stakeholders need to know why school nurses are important. School nurses have the insight - and the duty - to educate stakeholders so they know the role of the school nurse role and the difference school nurses make in the lives of children.