1. Home
  2. About TEA
  3. News and Multimedia
  4. To The Administrator Addressed Correspondence

Implementation of Senate Bill (SB) 30, Community Safety Education Act

PDF Version

September 28, 2018

TO THE ADMINISTRATOR ADDRESSED:

SUBJECT: Implementation of Senate Bill (SB) 30, Community Safety Education Act

SB 30, passed by the 85th Texas Legislature, Regular Session, 2017, added Section 28.021, regarding the instruction on interaction with law enforcement, to the Texas Education Code (TEC). TEC, §28.025(b-20), as amended by SB 30, requires the State Board of Education (SBOE) to adopt rules to include the instruction developed under TEC, §28.012, in one or more courses in the required curriculum for students in grades 9-12.

The SBOE adopted a new rule in Title 19 of the Texas Administrative Code (TAC), §74.39, Requirements for Instruction on Proper Interaction with Peace Officers, that became effective August 27, 2018. This rule requires school districts and charter schools to provide instruction to students in grades 9-12 on proper interaction with peace officers during traffic stops and other in-person encounters. The new requirement applies to any student who enters grade 9 in the 2018-2019 school year and thereafter. The SBOE also adopted an amendment to 19 TAC §74.5, Academic Achievement Record (Transcript), to require clear indication on the academic achievement record of completion by a student of the required instruction on proper interaction with peace officers.

A school district or open-enrollment charter school must use materials developed through a memorandum of understanding among the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement, the SBOE, and TEA when providing this instruction to students. Materials to be used when providing instruction include a 16-minute video and an instructor’s guide. The materials are now available on the Texas Gateway at https://www.texasgateway.org/resource/flashing-lights-senate-bill-30.

If you have questions regarding implementation of this new requirement, please contact the Curriculum Standards and Student Support Division by email at curriculum@tea.texas.gov or by phone at (512) 463-9581.

  Print