The ATPE Governmental Relations team recaps the past week’s education news, legislative and election updates, and regulatory developments. ATPE members: Share your thoughts and ask our lobby team questions in The Rotunda on the ATPE Online Community. 

• What happens after a bill becomes a law in Texas? 
• SBEC discusses National Board Certification & TIA, as well as updates to Educator Code of Ethics and Discipline Procedures
• From The Texas Tribune: 17 statewide propositions will appear on the November ballot. Here’s what Texas voters need to know.
• TEA Guidance Eases Confusion Over SB 12
• Check out the latest stories on atpenews.org
• Register to vote in the Nov. 4 election by Monday, Oct. 6
• Stay in the know and take action with ATPE’s member advocacy tools

RULEMAKING: Advocacy work doesn’t end when the Texas Legislature passes a bill and the governor signs it into law. In fact, at that point we only know how a new law will work in theory. In many cases, state agencies such as the Texas Education Agency (TEA) must then start filling in details about how that law will work in practice. In this blog post, ATPE Lobbyist Heather Sheffield shares how the Texas rulemaking process works, as well as how educators can offer feedback during this process to ensure the end result doesn’t create unnecessary burdens. 

SBEC: The State Board for Educator Certification (SBEC) met Sept. 18–19 in Austin. The meeting agenda primarily focused on work the board must accomplish to implement legislation passed by the 89th Legislature and included discussion of:  

• Continued qualification for the Teacher Incentive Allotment through the National Board Certification program;  
• Updates to 19 TAC Ch. 247, Educator Code of Ethics, and Ch. 249, Discipline Procedures.  
• Program admission requirements for educator preparation programs (EPPs) under 19 TAC Ch. 227, educator preparation standards under 19 TAC Ch. 228, and updating certifications under 19 TAC Ch. 230. 

ATPE Lobbyist Tricia Cave has a full recap in this blog post. 

BALLOT PROPOSITIONS: Seventeen statewide propositions will appear on the November ballot, a majority of which address tax cuts for homeowners and businesses. Other proposals would fund water infrastructure, the Texas State Technical College, and research on dementia treatment and prevention. Proposed constitutional amendments would limit when a person can be released on bail, enshrine parental rights, clarify citizenship requirements for Texas voters, and overhaul the State Commission on Judicial Conduct. 

Read more in this article republished from The Texas Tribune. 

SB 12: On Sept. 11, TEA released updated guidance, including an FAQ and a draft of proposed rules for Senate Bill (SB) 12, a Texas law requiring parental consent for student health services. In this atpenews.org blog post, ATPE Managing Attorney Lance Cain clarifies the updated TEA guidance, which creates a clear distinction between routine care and intensive services. 

ATPE NEWS: We've just published a new collection of content on atpenews.org, including features, columns, and member spotlights we know you won't want to miss. Be sure to check out these features and much more: 

• Hope and Resilience shows how Kerrville ISD educators stepped up in the wake of a devastating flood that claimed lives and upended their community. From courageous evacuations to districtwide recovery efforts, this moving story captures the strength, compassion, and unity that helped bring students and staff back to school with hope for the year ahead. 
• Moving the Needle on Voter Turnout spotlights how Humble ATPE’s long-running school board candidate forum—attended by nearly 300 community members—helped boost civic engagement in the May 2025 election.  
• In Capitol Comment, ATPE Governmental Relations Director Monty Exter encourages educators to kick off the new school year by strengthening their advocacy skills—starting on campus.  
• In Legal Opinions, ATPE Staff Attorney Sylvia Martinez-Haley breaks down House Bill 2, the new Texas law that provides permanent pay raises for teachers and support staff through the Teacher Retention Allotment and Support Staff Retention Allotment.  

VOTER REGISTRATION: Only 10 days remain to register to vote in the Nov. 4 election. A special election will be held to fill the 18th Congressional District seat in the U.S. House as well as the Texas Senate District 9 seat. Texans will also vote on 17 proposed state constitutional amendments and various local offices and ballot measures, including some school board races and propositions. Here are some important dates to keep in mind leading up to Election Day: 

• Monday, Oct. 6: Voter registration deadline 
• Monday, Oct. 20–Friday, Oct. 31: Early voting 
• Friday, Oct. 24: Last day to apply for ballot by mail 
• Tuesday, Nov. 4: Election Day 

MEMBER ADVOCACY: Even when the Legislature’s not in session, we urge you to stay informed and engaged. Here are a few advocacy resources to check out: 

• Advocacy Central: Get in touch with your elected officials about the legislation impacting your profession.  
• Judy: Chat with ATPE’s new AI assistant for Texas educators, ready to help you with all things ATPE and all things #txed.   
• ATPE Member Advocate Program (ATPE-MAP): Enroll in ATPE-MAP to earn state-level and local-level advocacy microcredentials, as well as earn continuing professional education (CPE) credit. ATPE-MAP is included in your member benefits, so be sure to check it out today.    
• ATPE Professional Learning (PL) Portal: Three sessions from the 2025 ATPE Summit are available in the ATPE PL Portal: an HB 2 compensation overview, the ATPE lobby team’s advocacy update and the closing keynote by Jonathan Alsheimer. Log in to watch the recordings and earn 1.5 hours of continuing professional education (CPE) credit. (Jonathan Alsheimer’s appearance arranged through Gotham Artists.) 
• The Rotunda: Don’t forget, members, that you can interact with your ATPE lobby team throughout the week when you log in to the ATPE Online Community.