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Read. Follow. Verify.Texas establishes autism education grant program for public schools and regional centers
Last action · March 12, 2025: Referred to Public EducationSponsor: Charles Cunningham
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What This Bill Proposed
The commissioner of education must establish a grant program to fund innovative autism education services in school districts and charter schools, as well as specialized training for teachers at regional education service centers, backed by a reporting deadline of December 31, 2030, and an expiration date of September 1, 2031.
Schools participating in the grant cannot charge extra fees or place students in the program without written parental consent, and individual awards are capped at $1 million per biennium.
- The Education Code governs the organization, administration, and financing of the public school system in Texas. 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.
school districts
Eligible to apply for grants up to $1 million per biennium to provide innovative autism education services.
open-enrollment charter schools
Eligible to apply for innovation grants and participate in multi-district collaborations.
regional education service centers
Eligible to receive at least half of the appropriated grant funds to provide specialized training on evidence-based practices to classroom teachers.
parents of students with disabilities
Must provide written consent for student placement in a grant program, can revoke consent at any time, and may serve on an external stakeholder panel assisting with grant selection.
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
Can a school force a parent to enroll their child in the autism grant program?
How much funding can a single school district or charter school receive from these grants?
What happens to the grant program over time?
What else do you want to know?
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 12, 2025HouseCommitteeReferred to Public Education
- Mar 12, 2025HouseIntroducedRead first time
- Dec 18, 2024HouseIntroducedFiled
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.
Dedicated Autism Innovation Funding
Creates a distinct funding stream outside the Foundation School Program specifically targeted at innovative autism education and teacher training.
Connected Entities
Sources
capitol.texas.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance20Lowered because this bill did not pass (its text scored 65)
- Controversy15Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment5Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz30Current news / social attention level
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