Texas Law
Senate Bill 412, House Bill 1361 & Senate Bill 459
Texas Senate Bill 412 , House Bill 1361, and Senate Bill 459 were passed during the 88th Texas Legislative session and became effective September 1, 2023. SB 412 relates to protections for pregnant and parenting students enrolled in public institutions of higher education. HB 1361 relates to the designation of liaison officers to assist certain students at public institutions of higher education who are parents. SB 459 relates to early registration for parenting students.
Senate Bill 212 and House Bill 1735
Senate Bill 212 (SB212) and House Bill 1735 (HB1735) were passed into Texas state law and became effective in January 2020. Learn more about what this new law requires of all employees at Texas colleges and the potential consequences of non-compliance.
Texas Education Code, Section 51.253(c)
Texas Education Code (TEC), Section 51.253(c) requires an institution’s Chief Executive Officer to submit a report at least once during each fall or spring semester to the institution’s governing body and post the report on the institution’s internet website. The report must contain (1) all reports received by employees under the TEC, Section 51.252 that constitute “sexual harassment,” “sexual assault,” “dating violence,” or “stalking” (as defined in the TEC, Section 51.251), and (2) any disciplinary actions taken under TEC, Section 51.255.
Title IX
Title IX provides for equal educational opportunities for pregnant and parenting students, prohibits educational institutions from discriminating against pregnant students based on their marital status, and prohibits discrimination against a student because of pregnancy, childbirth, false pregnancy, or recovery from related conditions.
Texas Education Code
Texas Education Code § 51.982 prohibits discrimination against students due to their pregnancy or parental status. It allows pregnant and parenting students to take a leave of absence and return in good standing without being required to reapply for admission. Under Texas Ed. Code. § 51.982, like Title IX, pregnant students are entitled to accommodations that are related to the health and safety of their pregnancy and cannot be treated worse than students with other temporary medical conditions.