The civic record
Read. Follow. Verify.Texas House Bill 1963 sets public school rules and disciplinary options for student dating violence
Last action · March 14, 2025: Referred to Public EducationSponsors: Josey Garcia and 2 others
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What This Bill Proposed
House Bill 1963 authorizes Texas public schools to place students in alternative education programs or expel them for engaging in dating violence, and defines dating violence within the Education Code. The measure requires school districts to explicitly prohibit dating violence in their student codes of conduct and applies beginning with the 2025-2026 school year.
Students enrolled in Texas independent school districts and s face new disciplinary actions, including alternative education placement or expulsion, for engaging in dating violence, while schools gain explicit authority to offer support services and educational resources on healthy relationships.
- Texas House Bill 1963 was introduced during the 89th Legislative Session by Representative Josey Garcia. context
- The Texas Education Code governs the operation, curriculum, and discipline standards of public schools and open-enrollment charter schools across the state. context
Who It Would Have Affected
Groups the bill's text would have affected, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
public school students
Students are subject to new disciplinary rules permitting alternative class placement or expulsion for dating violence and may receive support services.
school districts
Independent school district boards of trustees must update their student codes of conduct to explicitly prohibit and address dating violence.
open-enrollment charter schools
Charter schools are explicitly subjected to additional statutory requirements and monitoring under Chapter 554 of the Government Code and the Education Code.
Key Facts
You don't have to trust us. Each fact below is taken straight from the official document - click any one to see the exact passage, highlighted in the original.
Frequently Asked Questions
What disciplinary actions can schools take against a student involved in dating violence?
How does the bill define dating violence?
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News Coverage
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Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
This bill did not become law - Died at adjournment · in House committee.
Procedural history
3 actions- Mar 14, 2025HouseCommitteeReferred to Public Education
- Mar 14, 2025HouseIntroducedRead first time
- Jan 22, 2025HouseIntroducedFiled
Version history
Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.
View official text →Lobbying Activity
No state lobbying filings in our records match this bill. Federal lobbying reports (LDA) cover Congress, so they are not listed on state bills.
Full breakdown
Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.
Sponsors
Discoveries
Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.
Explicit Inclusion of Dating Violence in School Discipline
The legislation creates a unified definition and explicit disciplinary pathway for dating violence across Texas public and open-enrollment charter schools.
Connected Entities
Sources
capitol.texas.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance20Lowered because this bill did not pass (its text scored 65)
- Controversy20Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment5Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz30Current news / social attention level
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