S.B. No. 1451
 
 
 
 
AN ACT
  relating to the ability of public school teachers to maintain
  student discipline without being subjected to adverse employment
  consequences.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Section 21.351, Education Code, is amended by
  adding Subsection (a-1) to read as follows:
         (a-1)  In adopting criteria described by Subsection (a)(1),
  the commissioner shall ensure that a teacher may not be assigned an
  area of deficiency in an appraisal solely on the basis of
  disciplinary referrals made by the teacher or documentation
  regarding student conduct submitted by the teacher under Section
  37.002.  This subsection does not prohibit a teacher from being
  assigned an area of deficiency based on documented evidence of a
  deficiency in classroom management obtained through observation or
  a substantiated report.
         SECTION 2.  Section 21.352, Education Code, is amended by
  adding Subsection (a-1) to read as follows:
         (a-1)  A school district may not assign an area of deficiency
  to a teacher solely on the basis of disciplinary referrals made by
  the teacher or documentation regarding student conduct submitted by
  the teacher under Section 37.002.  This subsection does not
  prohibit a teacher from being assigned an area of deficiency based
  on documented evidence of a deficiency in classroom management
  obtained through observation or a substantiated report.
         SECTION 3.  Section 37.002, Education Code, is amended by
  adding Subsections (b-1) and (e) to read as follows:
         (b-1)  A teacher may document any conduct by a student that
  does not conform to the student code of conduct adopted under
  Section 37.001 and may submit that documentation to the principal.  
  A school district may not discipline a teacher on the basis of
  documentation submitted under this subsection.
         (e)  A student who is sent to the campus behavior
  coordinator's or other administrator's office under Subsection (a)
  or removed from class under Subsection (b) is not considered to have
  been removed from the classroom for the purposes of reporting data
  through the Public Education Information Management System (PEIMS)
  or other similar reports required by state or federal law.
         SECTION 4.  This Act applies beginning with the 2019-2020
  school year.
         SECTION 5.  This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
  a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
  provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution.  If this
  Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
  Act takes effect September 1, 2019.
 
 
 
 
 
  ______________________________ ______________________________
     President of the Senate Speaker of the House     
 
         I hereby certify that S.B. No. 1451 passed the Senate on
  April 11, 2019, by the following vote: Yeas 31, Nays 0; and that
  the Senate concurred in House amendment on May 25, 2019, by the
  following vote: Yeas 30, Nays 0.
 
 
  ______________________________
  Secretary of the Senate    
 
         I hereby certify that S.B. No. 1451 passed the House, with
  amendment, on May 22, 2019, by the following vote: Yeas 124,
  Nays 20, two present not voting.
 
 
  ______________________________
  Chief Clerk of the House   
 
 
 
  Approved:
 
  ______________________________ 
              Date
 
 
  ______________________________ 
            Governor