Overview

• Senate Bill 12 bars public school districts and open-enrollment charter schools from authorizing or sponsoring any student club based on sexual orientation or gender identity.
• The measure outlaws diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives in K-12 schools and forbids staff from assisting with social transitioning for transgender and nonbinary students.
• Sen. Brandon Creighton, the bill’s Republican author, called it the strongest Education Parental Bill of Rights in America, guaranteeing parents control over their children’s moral and religious upbringing.
• Democratic lawmakers and the ACLU of Texas argue the law will harm LGBTQ+ youth by forcing silence, damaging mental health and censoring classroom discussions on race, gender and sexual orientation.
• Governor Greg Abbott is expected to sign the bill into law, with its provisions scheduled to take effect on September 1, 2025.