SHAC reviews three Texas Senate bills that could change nutrition, activity and counseling rules in Keller ISD

Keller ISD's School Health Advisory Council reviewed three Texas Senate bills at its May 12 meeting and discussed potential effects on school health, nutrition and counseling services.

"There are three bills that we're going to discuss today that could have impacts on some of the areas under coordinated health," Summer Crowe, SHAC chair, told attendees. Crowe identified Senate Bill 25, Senate Bill 314 and Senate Bill 12 as the measures most likely to affect parts of the SHAC scope.

Why it matters: Each bill, if enacted, could require operational or curriculum changes for Keller ISD campuses. Some provisions would codify practices the district already follows; others could impose new supplier or notification requirements that affect vendors, classroom instruction and counseling procedures.

What SHAC heard

- Senate Bill 25: Crowe summarized that SB 25 targets health and nutrition standards in schools. She said it would continue to require 30 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity daily for students through eighth grade and add a requirement that middle-school physical activity be continuous over six semesters. Crowe also said SB 25 would direct the State Board of Education to adopt TEKS (Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills) for nutrition guidelines and would require districts to offer a nutrition and wellness elective in high school. Crowe noted Keller ISD already offers nutrition electives and that the bill would codify some existing local policies (for example, prohibiting withholding recess or PE as punishment).

- Senate Bill 314: Crowe said SB 314 addresses additives in free and reduced-price school meals and has passed both chambers; she reported the bill would not take effect until the 2026-27 school year, allowing nutrition services time to adjust. She cautioned that although fiscal notes described "no significant fiscal impact to the state," districts may incur costs sourcing alternative ingredients and training staff.

- Senate Bill 12: Crowe described SB 12 as "a parental rights bill" with multiple provisions that could affect counseling and health services. She summarized provisions she said were under consideration: prohibiting infringement on parents' rights to direct moral and religious training; requiring parental consent for medical, psychiatric and psychological treatment of students except as necessary; requiring districts to notify parents about changes in services or monitoring related to students' mental, emotional or physical health; and shifting some instruction (described in the presentation as human sexuality) to an opt-in model rather than opt-out. Crowe said SB 12 would also prohibit instruction or programming regarding sexual orientation or gender identity and would bar school districts from authorizing student clubs based on those categories. She added the bill had passed the Senate and had a House Public Education Committee hearing scheduled.

Status and district implications: Crowe reported bill statuses as she understood them: SB 25 had passed the Senate and the House Public Education Committee and was awaiting placement on the House calendar; SB 314 had passed both chambers and was awaiting the governor's signature or further action; SB 12 had passed the Senate and had a high-priority hearing in the House Public Education Committee. She told members that some provisions would codify Keller ISD's current practices while others could require adjustments in curriculum, nutrition procurement and counseling consent/notification procedures.

Discussion vs. decision: The review was informational. SHAC members raised concerns about funding for procurement changes, how codified rules would affect local policy flexibility and how parental-notification provisions would interact with counselors' current practices. No formal SHAC action was taken; members asked for continued monitoring and for staff updates if any bills pass and require district implementation.

Ending: Crowe said SHAC would continue to monitor state legislation and bring substantive updates back to the council when required.